


Mare et Terra

by indigostardust



Series: de Mare [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe – Merpeople, Alternate Universe – Pirate, Historical Fantasy AU, Iwaizumi and Kageyama are brothers, M/M, Minor/Mild Animal Violence and Gore, Non-Penetrative Sex, Other, Outdoor Sex, implied past friends with benefits kurodai, only one ch is explicit, pining & love confessions ft. a side of plot tbh.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-27
Updated: 2017-02-25
Packaged: 2018-06-04 19:45:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 81,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6673228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indigostardust/pseuds/indigostardust
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Iwaizumi had longed for the pirate life, but as he sails across the seas, he can't help but be haunted by a dream buried in his youth: a boy with a tail.</p>
<p>
  <strong>NOW WITH BEAUTIFUL FANART.</strong>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. dream a little dream of me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Dawn for encouraging me to write this.
> 
> Beautiful [fanart](http://reallyhomoart.tumblr.com/post/157702815564/what-are-you-hajime-felt-his-brow-furrow-and) for this chapter by the lovely Alison-Lynn. ([DeviantArt/Full size image can be found here.](http://alison-lynn.deviantart.com/art/What-are-you-Mare-et-Terra-665712706))
> 
> { **Please do not create a Goodreads profile for this fic without permission. Thank you.** }

Everything that night was a dream for Hajime, from the sparkling fire in the night sky that reflected in his dark eyes to the shimmer of scales caught in pale moonlight. 

He scrabbled up the rocks. Hajime's short arms and legs grasping for any bit of purchase as he made his way to the top of the plateau peninsula that extended from the shoreline, almost like a pier made entirely of disjointed stone, but barely taller than his head. Before Hajime had even rose to his feet atop of the plateau, his gaze was captured by the bright flashes of light that streaked across the sky. Fire, it was colored fire, shooting straight up into the night only to burst into thin fragments, coursing off into individual directions. Not a fleck of fire the same as another.

 _Fireworks_ , he heard the pirates say along the docks that morning. _Pirates_ , he marveled, had brought fireworks and cast them off to illuminate the night brighter than any star. Pirates had discovered the Earth Mother's hand reaching for the Sky Father. It was the most valuable treasure Hajime had seen up until that moment. Finding the most comfortable jut of rock he could find, he settled on the ground and raised his eyes to watch the display of gunpowder and spark for what seemed like hours. For when he dreamed, he saw the lights behind his eyelids. 

Hajime must have been dreaming when he heard the awed exhale that echoed the wonderment that filled his lungs. 

"What _is_ that?" 

 Startled, Hajime knocked his elbows against the sharp rocks around him as he scrambled onto his knees. 

"Oops." Hajime felt the flick of water on his face, cool like the giggle that accompanied it. "Didn't mean to frighten you." 

On his hands and knees, staring down into the little pool created by the groyne, Hajime had yet to find his words. Just below him was... another boy? The boy seemed perfectly fine, having no problem keeping his body afloat and his head tilted back to look at the sky, at Hajime. Just how deep was the water in the pool, Hajime wasn't sure, perhaps the boy was standing... At least, that's what Hajime thought before he saw the moon reflect in the pool, bounce light on scales like that of albacore.  

"What are you?" Hajime felt his brow furrow, and he could hear his mother's tutt in response to the action in the back of his mind. She always said wrinkles would come in long before their time in his skin.

The boy appeared about his age, if not a little older, with honey brown eyes that glowed so brightly in the dark that they rivaled the display above them. 

Another giggle, another flick of water, more this time, splashing his face. "A mer, silly. What else?"

Hajime wanted to scowl, he did, but he caught sight of the tail moving just beneath the churn of the sea's surface. Instead, he gaped at it, wonder overtaking him. 

"Like... mermaids? The ones that Captain Irihata babbles about after the fifth sake?" He thought of the old man in his rocking chair by the fire, the scars marring his old skin. His lips finally twisted the way he wanted. "Like the ones who tried to sing him to death?!" 

"Okay, now _that_ is a myth! We don't have the stomach to eat humans." The boy pouted, crossing his arms against a pale chest. "And I answered your question, but you never answered mine. What are those?" He pointed up towards the sky as yet another blast of colored fire lit up among the stars. 

The two of them fell silent as their eyes followed the descent of the fire flakes and streams. Hajime snuck a glance at the mer in the pool. The boy's expression was wide and open, a rising joy escaping from his gills that Hajime could clearly see as the mer below craned and twisted his neck to get a better look. It was an expression so like his own, and Hajime couldn't help but revel in the excitement of finding another who was as enraptured by the fireworks as he. It had been quite a few minutes, after all, and the mer had yet to harm him. And, Hajime thought he could take on the mer, tail and all. He did have the advantage, up on the groyne. Surely, he could. 

So, with the same soft escape of breath he heard the boy use, Hajime gave a content sigh. "Fireworks." Melted bronze for irises burned into Hajime's dream, his memory. "They're fireworks, and they're beautiful." 

Long after the fireworks ended, the human boy and the mer talked until the moon receded along the horizon and the stars began to fade. Hajime found the mer had endless questions, about fireworks, about pirates, about humans. He didn't mind answering all that he could: 

"What do you call these... wiggly things?" The mer's nose scrunched just after pinching one of Hajime's toes. 

Hajime swore after a particularly heavy handed splash of water that drenched the thin cotton shirt he wore. The mer only blinked, head tilted. "Who's Jesus? There is only the Sea Mother for us." 

He was equally fascinated by the mer, though Hajime was often too enthralled by the grace and power of the boy's tail. During a particularly high and bright firework, he finally caught sight of the tail's color. A light blue with a tinge of green, the mer had described when under the full might of the sun. Turquoise, Hajime had named the shade; his favorite. 

It was when the black sky began to transition to the dark grays of early morning, just before the sun peaked over the horizon, that the mer began to retreat out of the pool. But just before the mer left the small oasis, he looked back at Hajime. 

"Say, what's your name?" 

"Iwaizumi Hajime." He told the mer. That earned a tilt of the head from the mer, leading to a brief explanation as to why humans had two names before the mer truly had to leave 'or else they'll worry'. 

The mer looked out towards the horizon, officially past the small pool, before he spared one last smile towards Hajime. 

"I'm Tooru, and I hope to see you again one day, Iwa-chan."  

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Iwaizumi sighed long as he leaned against the rail, searching the endless expanse of ocean along the horizon. It would be dawn soon, the sky was the mute gray just before the sun broke the sky into patterns of vivid yellows, pinks, and oranges. He had spent yet another night, searching instead of sleeping.

He knew, that once the sun rose, his crew would awaken and it would be back to work. So, Iwaizumi took these last moments to settle himself and his thoughts. Not realizing one of his crew members had come to watch the sun rise next to him. 

Kuroo spoke softly enough to bring him out of his reverie, from a dream he replayed every night. 

"Just what did the ocean take from you to earn your watch over every wave from twilight till dawn?" 

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes as he took a step back to stretch his arms and legs. "You're up early, Kuroo. Didn't you know that pirates sleep in until noon?" 

Kuroo snorted, "As if you'd let us do that. Last time we tried, you banged all of Tanaka's good pots up and down the hull." 

"Well, the ship doesn't run itself." That earned a light punch in the shoulder. 

Silence lulled after their brief banter. It was enough small talk to be polite, but also enough to tire them before the sun rose. The two of them had formed a routine; Kuroo lacked as much sleep as Iwaizumi. They took the time to give formalities before taking the breaths needed to prepare for the day. They would both need it  

"The sea didn't take anything from you, did it?" Kuroo shook his head, still deep in thought, watching the same waves as Iwaizumi. "You're searching for something." 

Iwaizumi chuckled, reminded of why he let Kuroo step aboard his ship all those years ago. The man had a habit of knocking on all a person's walls until he figured them out, like a melody he was composing until it sounded just right. He was too intuitive and intrusive for his own good at times, always listening for your whispered secrets. But whatever information Kuroo found, he kept confidential. It made Kuroo one of the stealthiest pirates Iwaizumi had seen sail the ocean, and a close friend. Iwaizumi could bring himself to appreciate Kuroo's gentle knocking, but he couldn't tell Kuroo about something he did not know himself. All Iwaizumi knew was that it was the most valuable treasure man could ever hope to come across once more. 

He stepped back from the rail, letting go when he caught a peek of the sun breaking over the end of the world. It was time for work. 

"Isn't that why we're all pirates?" He twisted his lips, a taunting amusement he didn't particularly feel, and then clapped Kuroo's shoulder before walking away towards the captain's deck.

Tooru had been just a dream, Iwaizumi knew as he took one last look towards the open sea, product of a wild imagination in a small boy eager to sail. 

Still, a young Hajime couldn't help but search for a boy in the depths below his feet. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I hope you liked the intro to this AU.
> 
> I am embarking on this mer!au as a way of giving myself something to look forward to, so I hope others do as well!
> 
> Please leave comments/kudos/bookmarks/subs as you would like.
> 
> Thanks again for reading! I'm still planning out this AU bit by bit so things may be subject to change, and there's lots more information to be had about this AU, but I'll be sure to let you know of any edits or new developments.


	2. yo ho, yo ho

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It's a pirates life for me" is the motto of Iwaizumi's crew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out [@eccentrick's>](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6673387/chapters/15261142) Kiyoyachi & Iwaoi fic featuring lots of Kagehina~ it's a chimney sweep au that promises a good deal of angst! Like, really, Dawn does some great angst T^T

Iwaizumi knew his brother was stubborn, but _Jesus Christ, did he have to be this stubborn even in his sleep?_

Apparently, his brother could despite the harsh shake Iwaizumi dealt. Instead, Kageyama simply turned onto his other side, muttering the name of constellations. If anyone tried to accuse Iwaizumi of staring out into the night a bit too much, they would be sorely reminded to discover his younger brother who talked stars in his sleep. But, it was for this reason Iwaizumi brought Kageyama along as navigator. While his own skills were adept enough to be captain, Kageyama was a genius when it came to knowing each speck of light in the Sky Father's domain. 

He gave one last hard smack to Kageyama's back before he swore he was going to get the water bucket, declaring this threat to his brother's dormant consciousness. Iwaizumi scoffed when the younger man grunted and acted as though waking up physically pained him. 

"Just because you're my brother doesn't mean you can sleep in while the others work. Wasn't that the whole reason you're sleeping in the barracks?" He shook his head, deciding his brother was too slow and yanked away the light blankets that tangled up in the hammock. Finally, Kageyama sat up and rubbed his eyes. 

His brother was twenty-one years old, but somehow he could still be the adorable little shit that tagged along wherever Iwaizumi went. Giving one last nudge, Iwaizumi threw his hands up in frustration and turned to begin walking back to the trap door that let out to the deck. "Get your ass out of bed and get to mopping the deck, and after, we'll plot our course. You're burning daylight with Hinata!" 

Chuckling a little, Iwaizumi stepped back and up into the bright sunlight. Kageyama stumbling not too far behind a few minutes later, still rubbing his eyes. 

They felt the breeze created before they heard the shout. Hinata was swinging from high above, using one of the spare ropes to jump from one place to another on the ship. His cries of joy from being up in the air could always be heard, especially first thing in the morning. 

"Gwah! Kageyama! I'll finish my side of the deck before you!" Hinata yelled down to them before he let go of the rope from a risky point in mid-air.

Iwaizumi's concern was reflected in Sawamura's shouted reprimand and outstretched arm, prepared to catch Hinata or pick him up from the inevitable fall. However, even after having Hinata be a part of the crew for more than a year neither Sawamura or he ever got used to the spike of fear that blossomed before watching Hinata perfectly sticking the landing, knees bent and uninjured. The ginger gave his captain and quartermaster a thumbs up and toothy grin before sticking his tongue out at Kageyama.

"Hinata, you dumbass!" Kageyama, effectively awoken by shrimpy's taunts, chased after him. The two of them trying to best each other's speed and reach their selected mops first, pushing and occasionally pulling at one another's shirts. 

Sawamura climbed with heavy footsteps up to the captain's deck, groaning all the way until he stood by Iwaizumi at the wheel. He gave his captain the same exasperated expression that simultaneously showed his fondness for the youngest members of their crew. 

 _"What are we going to do with them?"_ The silent question repeated in Sawamura's expression. 

He mirrored the eye roll. 

 

~~~~~~~~

 

Iwaizumi hummed as he studied the map of seas he called his home, spread across his dining table, along with his navigator, [quartermaster](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6673228/chapters/15303547#chapter_2_endnotes), and [boatswain ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6673228/chapters/15303547#chapter_2_endnotes)surrounding the map as well. He pointed to the belt of islands Kageyama is convinced are holding the treasure they plan to seek out next. 

"If what you're saying is right, then we should make it there within the next two full moons. Are you sure?" He asks once more to reassure himself, to take a bit of his brother's conviction into his own mind. 

"Yes, nii-san." Kageyama nods. "Based on the readings you gave me and the clues left from previous explorers, I believe the chalice and gold should be found on one of the islands of Sissam. If not, then we can search the next set of islands..." Kageyama trailed his finger across the smooth leather. "Here."

"That's a rather large island..." Sawamura murmured, dark eyes inspecting every crevice of the map. 

Iwaizumi smirked slightly. After all, old habits were hard to break, particularly for a former commander of the royal navy, nor did Iwaizumi wish for the habits to fall asleep. He valued Sawamura's practicability and sense; it was becoming taxing being the only sane person aboard. 

"Humilis Aestus," his brother read off the name, slim finger tapping against it. 

 Kuroo snorted. "That might as well be a continent. You better not be wrong about that first chain of islands, kid." Then he elbowed Sawamura's side. "And you, stop being so paranoid. Part of being a pirate _is_ to get lost on humongous islands. But, oh wait, you wouldn't know. What's that saying again, Captain?" 

"A Jollie's a [Jollie](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6673228/chapters/15303547#chapter_2_endnotes), no matter where the sailorgoes..." Iwaizumi muttered, half listening to their repeated argumentative banter. "I agree with Sawamura, though. We only have so many resources until then, and we've yet to travel that far south. We'll travel to Aestus if we must, but stick to the coast as much as possible." 

"Maybe if we find the chalice in Sissam, we can go to Humilis Aestus anyway." Sawamura remarked sagely in agreement. No matter Kuroo's taunts, even the first mate'sheart was that of a wanderer. The ex-commander could only stay stagnant for so long until even his endless stability grew restless. 

A flurried knock landed on the open door of the captain's quarters. 

"Lunch time!" Noya called louder than necessary, his gold streaks of hair lighter than usual. He had obviously re-dyed it recently, and that led to some lewd acts soon after, if the sounds heard last night was anything to go by, between him and their medic. Even from his rooms above deck, the harsh banging against the wooden planks had woken Iwaizumi before he covered his ears with his extra captain-sanctioned pillow.  

"Thank you, Noya-senpai." Kageyama bowed as Iwaizumi began to roll up the map, making Noya beam with pride. 

The older crew members gave a similar greeting before Noya bounced away, and one by one, they filed out of the cabin. 

"Tell the crew we set sail after lunch, Sawamura. And Kageyama," Iwaizumi handed his brother the map and nodded to the watchman's perch up above on the taller mast. "Show our course to Hinata, it will help him guide us." 

Stiff as a board and serious as ever, Kageyama nodded in agreement, taking the map and walking towards the mast. Still, Iwaizumi didn't miss his brother's hesitant glance up before beginning the climb, and Iwaizumi smiled because there were some dreams that held a probable reality.

He took a look around at those who bustled across the deck, eager for lunch and glad to take a break. The sky was a clear blue and it reflected in the ocean all around them. Iwaizumi could hear Tanaka's loud shouts for Noya to save some food for the others, Bokuto beating away at his "ceremonial meal" drum, and Sawamura trying to keep them all under control whereas Kuroo encouraged the cacophony of [shanties](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6673228/chapters/15303547#chapter_2_endnotes)and laughter. It was the sound of life which accompanied him since he was little, watching the pirate ships load up and sail away, and it was hard not to join when he arrived among the others seated at the table as soon as a tall giant did.  

"Oi, Asahi." Iwaizumi grinned. He pointed at a dark bruise at the base of Asahi's neck, just above the curve of his shirt's neckline. "You forgot to cover up a spot."

"Eh?! Why would he cover the marks of looooveee." Noya sidled up next to his partner, wrapping Asahi up as tightly as he could with his small arms. The shortest man aboard the ship was grinning wildly. 

Bokuto and Kuroo shared twin gleams in their golden eyes as they saw their chance, beginning their hoots and cat calls. Tanaka came bustling out of the galley at the right moment, setting down the large pot on the small table. He could never pass a moment to tease his best friend either. Iwaizumi took a seat on an empty, lidded barrel that they used for chairs.  

"An hour! A whole hour of just this --" Bokuto slapped his hand against the skin of his drum, _smack smack smack._ "An _hour_... Nice going, though." He added with a shrug in the couple's direction.   

"Speaking of that, could you, oh, I don't know, _tone down the volume_ , Noya? Some of us need beauty sleep." Kuroo pulled on his eyebags. 

"You mean enough sleep to get your hair the way it is." Noya threw back. 

"How about you two _don't_ do it while we're sleeping in the first place! You don't have to wake up an hour earlier to feed the lot of you." Tanaka pouted, choked on a fake whimper. "The things I do for you all."

"Like the cap would let us go at it during work hours! And why am I the only one getting the heat? He's the one fucking me!" Noya pointed at the reddened face of his boyfriend that clearly just wanted to eat his food. Everyone else only gave Noya the all-knowing  _look_. 

"Actually," Iwaizumi took in Asahi's burning face and waited for Sawamura's confirmed nod. "If it's during lunch break... Why not?"

The rest of the crew screamed when Noya dragged their medic back down into the hull, and only naive Kageyama and Hinata who just joined the table were blushing while they cheered along with the rest. 

 

~~~~~~~~

 

All the crew members agreed that Iwaizumi was the best storyteller aboard the ship, but he personally thought it was because he knew the most tales from all the nights he had listened to Captain Irihata... and because their band of pirates, well, nearly half of them weren't pirates to begin with. 

Irihata told him once, in the tiny corner of the pub his parents' owned, where he always sat nursing his drink, you were either born a pirate or not. Piracy was more than a way of life, it was more than a call to the sea, and though these two things were essential to becoming a pirate, the blood of pirates had to run through your veins. Luckily for Iwaizumi, the pirates' blood was thick within him, Irihata said. It took many years after the prior captain's death to understand Irihata's view wasn't so black and white as originally perceived. 

The old man hadn't passed down his ship to Iwaizumi because of his years of hard work, his loyalty, but for the blood that sang in his veins. The blood of poor pub owners, the blood of a child raised in a bustling port town, the blood of a boy who changed as often as the ocean was the blood Irihata demanded in a pirate. And while Iwaizumi's crew lacked the creation by pirates at the beginning of life, they had pirates blood nonetheless. Every one of them was called by the ocean and dared to ride its waves through every storm. 

He didn't care what the other bandit ships whispered about them, their supposed lack of pirate tradition, their separation from the culture shaped by thieves of the sea. After all, Iwaizumi was a bit different from other pirates. Irihata always said so, and Iwaizumi would rather have a band of misfit pirates like him who were ex-navy officers, carpenters, and sons of wealthy businessmen than a man without a moral code. 

"Okay, okay, I get that there's shit load of gold, and that's enough reason to go for us, but really, Cap, what the hell is so special about a cup?" Noya stumbled back to his spot next to Tanaka. The two of them holding onto one of the masts for dear life, swaying more from the alcohol warming their bellies than the rocking of the vessel. Sawamura had yelled at them to move away from the rail sometime earlier. 

Things were boisterous as always among them, despite the sun being long gone. Merriment lasted from lunch through dinner. Anything was entertaining to the crew of _Seijoh._  Long days at sea made them find the fun in almost anything, Asahi and Noya fucking, Asahi and Noya not fucking even with Iwaizumi's expressed permission, and depleting their 'endless' supply of drink. 

"It was the Earth Mother's wedding chalice and dowry, meant to join her to the Sky Father forever." Iwaizumi mused, recalling the story from the recesses of his mind. There were so many things he knew of the world and its lost treasures that, sometimes, if he wasn't careful and the sun hadn't bleached his mind into a bright nothing, he tended to forget here and there, a detail or two. Yet, the stories themselves were so inexplicably woven into his being, he could never truly forget them; they composed the elements for a captain named Iwaizumi Hajime. 

"The Sky Father is an ass hat. Why the hell did she want to get married to the idiot? If only the Earth Mother knew! I'd protect her to the ends of the..." Tanaka puffed his chest, raising his cup before deflating, not too far gone to make himself stupider than usual. " _Oh_." 

Bokuto clashed together the cymbals in his hands, marking Tanaka's epic declaration.

For the same reasons that Iwaizumi thought Tanaka was more of a pirate than himself, it also made Tanaka one of the worst storytellers among the crew, and that was Tanaka's love of sake. Like a true pirate, Tanaka was a bit of a drunk, taking sips of sake throughout the day till the night poured forth a draught, as wide as a river, just for him. Tanaka was what Irihata called a pureblood pirate. The bald-headed cook was born from an long line of famous pirates whose names echoed more gloriously than that of Irihata. When Iwaizumi met the wild boy, he was an immediate choice for a member of his ship. And, it was nice to have someone back up the old wives tales Iwaizumi told when the rest adamantly refused to believe the Sky Father was, truly, an ass.

"But who _is_ the Sky Father and Earth Mother?" Bokuto stressed with a pit-pat on the small drum he switched to after the cymbals. His thick brows furrowed in confusion. "Don't they have names?" 

Their captain shrugged in his seat. "No one knows. The Sky Father, Earth Mother, and Sea Mother are the gods in the myths of old, the only tales pirates know. They're not actually real, Bokuto, just stories bored old men make up to add allure to the treasures we hunt."

"Damn flashy pirates." Kuroo shook his head. 

"So what happened to the Earth Mother's chalice then, Cap?" Hinata turned in his seat to face him, the glow of oil lanterns reflecting like fire in the boy's wide eyes. 

 "They say the day of the wedding, the Sea Mother's jealousy grew higher than the tallest mountain. Spited because she was not invited, miserable for she has never had a lover, she traveled through rivers and streams just before dawn and stole the wedding cup and Earth Mother's dowry. The Earth Mother cried and begged the Sky Father to exact revenge, so he waged a war of lightning and thunder with the hurricanes of the sea." 

"But the Sea Mother, the monster of the abyss," Tanaka falsely whispered and leaned forward, catching Hinata's frightened gaze. "She tricked the stupid Sky Father, used her hurricanes to hide her movements, and hid the chalice and gold in somewhere no one could ever find until..."

"Until we find it." Kageyama interjected, his cheeks pale and expression serious. He hadn't been drinking like the others; Iwaizumi found that his brother rarely did. His blue eyes took in the questionable looks of the crew around them. The navigator shrugged. "We will find it."

"Eh? How can you be so sure?" Tanaka scoffed. "Pirates rarely find rare items."

"Because I've studied the stars. The stars hold no lies." 

Despite the arrogance that one might assume in Kageyama's blatant statement, they all knew he truly believed they would find the chalice, just as they had found the other few rare items along their journey. In truth, it was rare that Kageyama led them astray ever since he boarded. The others never forget to refresh Iwaizumi's memory of the few times he had gotten them lost. (Noya says it was several times, Bokuto -- eleven, but Iwaizumi is sure it was only twice.) So Bokuto banged on the drum with the palm of his hand and the rest cheered loud enough to signal their location to all other ships in the near vicinity (if there were any), calling for another round to celebrate their expected discovery.

On his other side, Sawamura gave an amused sigh and shook his head. "Honest as always." 

"Say, Iwaizumi," Kuroo called, lifting the drink to his lips. "If this stupid cup was supposed to be meant for the wedding, did the Sky Douche  and Earth Lady get knotted or what?" 

"Oh, they got married all right." Tanaka shouted angrily before crying, clutching the fabric of his shirt just over his heart. "And I'll never understand why." 

Iwaizumi nodded at Asahi who stepped out of his office in the [sick bay](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6673228/chapters/15303547#chapter_2_endnotes) and caught his eye. Asahi was another on the ship who rarely drank, and Noya always insisted on drinking enough for the both of them. Judging from the position of the moon, it was about time to hit the barracks and begin a new day. 

"They did get married, and the story changes as to why or how. Some say the chalice was meant to bring the earth up into the heavens, which is why the union was agreed upon in the first place. The Sky Father accused the Earth Mother of forsaking that promise, and it took years for the Earth Mother to convince him once more. Some say she loved him too much, some say that she wanted the power of ruling two realms and not just one. Others say the Sky Father didn't care for the cup and put their realms side by side, married her anyway because their love was strong. Personally, I think the Sky Father just wanted someone to birth his kids and be done with it." 

"What a... what a... what a _dick_." Hinata exclaimed, a sentiment Bokuto echoed with a particularly heavy bang.

Iwaizumi took it as an end to their night. Sawamura stood, hustling a still buzzing Bokuto while Kuroo was supporting an off kilter Tanaka. They nodded good night to Iwaizumi as they made their way below deck. Asahi picking up his small lover and began to carry him to their enclosed section of the barracks, calling a 'good night' over his shoulder. 

Kageyama watched Hinata climb up the mast to his watch post, silently ensuring the ginger got up safely despite Hinata's excelling abilities and experience. Even after Hinata was safely up, Kageyama stayed by Iwaizumi's side at the helm of the ship a little longer, studying the sky as he did every night. 

They weren't the type of brothers to say much. Instead, their shoulders touched and their gazes set outward. 

Tales of goddesses and gold were lined in every fiber of Iwaizumi's skin, but the stories that lasted forever in his heart were the ones of a captain and his brother standing side by side. 

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

Yet another night that would soon fade into dawn, and Iwaizumi continued his endless search. 

Still, Iwaizumi did not understand why.

It was a dream, he scolded himself, a stupid dream spawned from the concoction of wonder and fear he felt that night due to the strange sounds he had heard, sitting out on the groyne all by himself. 

Then why did it feel so real? 

He could still feel the sprinkles of water being dashed at his face, though he knew that the feeling was only an echo of all the times he and Kageyama used to play in the ocean. Only, Kageyama rarely found swimming or splashing much fun. Iwaizumi could still feel the pinch on his big toe, though that was from all the times he had stubbed the poor appendage like most humans did. Iwaizumi hung his head, his hands gripping the smooth wheel. He was tired, he could feel it in his bones. The captain had been chasing after golden, bejeweled treasure for as long as he had been searching for an apparition created by his tired eyes. Sometimes, it felt like running. 

He released one hand from the wheel, clenching and unclenching his hand, stretching his palm. Iwaizumi counted the callouses that littered his hand. Closing his eyes and resting his hand once more, he felt the slight breeze, breathed in the salt through his nostrils. The feeling was home to him, but the trance of the dream stayed with him, hazing his mind. For when it was truly late and Iwaizumi listened close enough, neglecting the search with his eyes, he could still hear that annoying chirpy voice teasing...

_"Iwa-chan."_

His eyes snapped open in immediate response, and he whipped his head around, hair raising with the chill of the breeze. 

The ocean had been still that night, the waves slow and near silent. A half moon left equal shadow and light on the world. Iwaizumi knew the words from his memory, but never had they ever sounded so real since that night when he was young. The name was then spoken with a light air, high and that of a child, but this time... There was a splash.

_"Oh, Iwa-chan..."_

Iwaizumi's legs rushed from his spot up on the captain's deck to the rail on the port side.  He was about to turn in early for once, frustrated with his mind's endless back and forth, exhausted. Now, his mind was alert, like a wick of an oil lamp was lit... and already, the burning fire of Fear? Nervousness? Iwaizumi wasn't sure what it was, he couldn't explain the vibrating in his abdomen, the slight shake of his fingers. Looking over, he searched frantically for the sound. The splash or the voice, Iwaizumi wasn't sure. 

Worst of all, Iwaizumi felt like he knew the voice. 

It wasn't the voice of a young boy, but it was light and airy, high in a way that was almost nasal. It was the voice of a man, the pitch deeper than that of Iwaizumi's dreams. He couldn't shake the hunch holding him firm against the railing. 

He knew this voice.

Maybe it was the lack of sleep. Surely, it was... His mind was finally revolting against him for all the wasted hours, causing him to hallucinate. Yes, surely, that was it. This was nothing but another dream... and then he saw it once again. The shimmer of scales, bouncing back pale moonlight, a dash of turquoise so bright it was hard to miss despite the black waters. It darted back into the depths of the ocean.

Again, just up ahead, there was that brief flash of color. Iwaizumi's feet moved of their own accord, running along the railing to where the tail, there was no mistaking it as a tail, finished its perfected arc and disappeared. 

This creature was toying with him, or was it his sleep deprived mind, as it appeared briefly above water all along the edges of Iwaizumi's ship, even continuing onto the [starboard](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6673228/chapters/15303547#chapter_2_endnotes)side and back around again to [port](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6673228/chapters/15303547#chapter_2_endnotes). Iwaizumi never stopped running, trying to catch up to this mystery creature to see if it was, no, _who_ , he thought it might be. 

Iwaizumi gripped the wood of the railing, the only real thing in this strange illusion, and tried to catch his breath. He watched the tail dart back and forth a short distance before disappearing completely.  

 _"Iwa-chan,"_ he heard the voice again, calling him, but the tell-tale tail was nowhere in sight. _"Won't you follow me?"_

He had stood at the helm of the ship, trying his best to follow the voice, at a loss to find a valid response to such an inquisition. Not knowing his answer until he saw the tail less than mere meters away from where he was, until he saw the tuft of light brown hair and the moon illuminating pale skin, Iwaizumi focused on the horizon where the moon met the sea. It was like flexing a well trained muscle.

The mer held still above water for just a moment but did not look back at Iwaizumi before diving into the water, only the tail to be seen at increments of another meter, getting farther and farther away. Kuroo always created long processions of mechanics, a process that set one chink of metal to another, carrying string laden with weight to push a steel ball into motion to knock over a bottle. Watching the mer swim toward the horizon knocked over the bottle in Iwaizumi. The unnamed emotion settled into the tips of his fingers and toes, charging him up to his brow. 

"Hinata!" Iwaizumi ran back up to the captain's deck and rang the bell near the wheel with all his might. Funny, he rarely ever used it, only in preparation for battle or to flee pursuers, but soon enough his entire crew was rushing up the [ladders](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6673228/chapters/15303547#chapter_2_endnotes)and Hinata was swinging down. 

He grabbed Hinata's nimble shoulders, hardly waiting for the boy to find his footing. "Do you see that?" He frantically pointed at the glimmer of scales that was escaping with every second. 

"Ah, wh-I-" Hinata stumbled, afraid of the panic in Iwaizumi's movements, trying is best to fight off the slumber trying to cling to him. 

"Do you see it?!"

"Yes!" 

"Don't let it out of your sight," he nearly growled before pushing Hinata towards back up the mast and running to grip the wheel. Yelling as he quickly spun the spools of the wheel in the direction he saw Tooru take off, he directed his crew through his rising tunneled focus to hurry, to drop the sails, to tighten the ropes. He ignored the frightened looks, the stern glare from Sawamura and his orders to explain what was happening, but Iwaizumi's concentration was ahead, chasing after what he thought to be a dream. 

His decision had been made without consciously knowing it. 

_Yes, I will follow you._

He followed until the sun broke over the horizon. He followed when he lost sight of the glimmering scales, and when even Hinata's sharp eyes lost sight of the tail from his high vantage point. He followed blindly despite the chill of the wind, a wind that was blowing just for his ship. He followed despite the silence plaguing his crew, a never heard of before occurrence as they now followed the beginning break of dawn. 

Iwaizumi followed so blindly, so irrationally; he heard Hinata's cries too late, and by then, sharp, jagged rocks crushed into the side of his beloved _Seijoh_.   
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pirate lingo
> 
>  **Quartermaster/First Mate** : Basically second in command to the captain, considered the voice of the crew, and entrusted with various other things. (Maintaining order, steering, settling disputes, distributing supplies and loot)
> 
>  **Boatswain** : Second mate in my AU, but by definition, an officer responsible for sails, ropes, rigging, and boats on a ship who issues commands to other members of the crew. 
> 
> **Jollie** : A traditional Royal Navy nickname for the Royal Marines. 
> 
> **Shanties** : Work songs
> 
>  **Sick Bay** : The compartment aboard the ship reserved for medical purposes.
> 
>  **Starboard** : The right side of the ship
> 
>  **Port** : The left side of the ship
> 
>  **Ladders** : On board a ship, all "stairs" are called ladders, except for literal staircases aboard passenger ships. Most "stairs" on a ship are narrow and nearly vertical, hence the name. In this fic, I will mostly stick to stairs/steps, but occasionally alternate to ladders. 
> 
> Hopefully this is all of them! If I missed one, please let me know. 
> 
> Also, on this note, please know that while this is a historical setting, some information is written with extensive creative liberties, i.e. the saying Iwaizumi gives about Daichi. (Mostly because I'm the kind to research myself to death and never write the fic itself.) 
> 
> Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback! I posted chapter one before bed, and when I came home the next day, I already had subscriptions! I'm super excited with the response this fic got. I've also never been sub'ed before. 
> 
> Thank you again for everyone who subscribed, commented (!!), and left kudos.


	3. and you were there

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter Oikawa.

"Tooru, tell me you didn't." _Again._

"I did!" Keiji's brother smiled brightly at him, flashing the pearly white canines, before turning back to watch the men who rowed ashore, their ship not too far out from the coast.  

Keiji studied Tooru for a silent few seconds, noting that the smile had faded to the tight purse of lips he always had when calculating, observing. His shoulders were stiff, the muscles bunching together high on his back. Tooru was eager, far too much for Keiji's liking. 

They had been watching for some time already, since Tooru shook them all awake in excited hurry. The sun was nearing its highest point, and all they had done was watch the pirates and watch Tooru twitch, hum, and preen with expectation. 

He turned his own watchful gaze on the humans. "How can you be sure they aren't a danger? You don't even know if that's _him_." 

Keiji always understood their pod's need to explore and learn about the humans as a pup, but time had only caused Keiji to grow distrustful... and annoyed. They had always returned to the same port, rarely venturing to other coasts. Tooru had said it was because the small town was closest, and Keiji believed him, briefly. Until he noticed the way Tooru's ears perked up, listening to the sailors in more than just a quest for knowledge, the specific groyne Tooru would visit or insist on passing by, glancing for something more. They only began expanding their reach to explore other ports when Tooru heard a name mentioned along the docks, the name Tooru whispered every night before sleep. Soon after, Tooru was taking more and more solitary trips away from their home, and Keiji knew his brother was looking for the human boy that managed to capture his fascination.  

That's all that it was, fascination, awe of the gangly land creatures the Sea Mother spit on. Not Love, as Tooru declared. Tooru's sharp glare could not deter Keiji from that assessment. 

"Kei-chan," Tooru sang, but not without the lace of warning. He was, after all, Keiji's elder and mentor, waving his hand as though he could bat away Keiji's negativity. "You'll love Iwa-chan when you meet him. And if any of those weary pirates lay a hand on you or Kenma-kun..." Tooru took his eyes off the shore to look at him, the malicious glint hidden from the sun. "You know I'll rip it off." 

Behind Keiji, Kenma mirrored his scoff from where he laid out on a rock, drying his hair. It was a quiet sound, as Kenma usually was, but it was an agreement nonetheless. Keiji was glad he was not the only one opposed to their brother's odd obsession. 

"Now, now." Koushi came up between them, a cold, gentle hand landing on each of their shoulders. Both Tooru and Keiji stilled, watching the oldest among them carefully from the corner of their eyes. Knowing he was tired of keeping the peace between their new rift but still smiling at them brightly set the two of them on edge. "We're only observing. We will decide what to do after that, together. We promised Tooru that much, didn't we? So let's watch."

 They settled into silence, the three oldest mers watching while Kenma continued to dry his hair. The four of them were settled into one of their favorite coves. It provided a high advantage point to watch the actions along the shore without being seen thanks to the multiple rocks at different tiers, all while still having a wide outlet into the sea should they need to escape. 

Distant, unintelligible shouts were the only things to reach their ears as they continued to watch the group of humans work up and down the shore, back and forth to their vessel. Some began to split up. A pirate with bright hair like the sun dashed off into the trees. He was followed by a tall figure who had done nothing but shout at him all morning. Keiji instinctively tensed as the two disappeared into the forest. It was one thing for the men to amble across a small patch of beach, another entirely to explore the secrets of their island deep within. Koushi was reliable, responsible, the eldest, whose nature was to ensure their home was well kept and sustainable, the ever present caretaker for their home and themselves. Tooru explored and accomplished dangerous missions whenever they needed something too close to civilization, and occasionally, a human item. The job of hunting for food was a task shared among all of them. Keiji, however, Keiji fell into his sole role to _protect_. These were the positions they had chosen for themselves. He most certainly couldn't help the instinct as these strangers entered their home, stomped on precious ecosystems with their heavy feet, not when Tooru had practically invited them to stay. The last time Tooru had made contact with humans and led them to the island was still a bitter taste in the back of Keiji's throat. 

As the humans moved about, setting to work or to roam, Keiji could feel Tooru fidget in the water. His brother's 'turquoise' tail flicking tensely as he strained to make out the figures ashore. 

"Do you see him?" Koushi whispered, more for gentleness than secrecy, but even Keiji could hear the preparation in their eldest's tone, the oncoming  _it's alright if you were mistaken_. 

A particularly loud smack of Tooru's tail against the water clearly rejected Koushi's kind advance, a clear demand to step back that only Tooru could retaliate with against Koushi. The splash causing Kenma to give a quiet yelp at  his near-dry hair becoming dampened slightly again. 

" _Tooru-kun_." Kenma hissed before wringing out the water. 

"Ah, sorry. It's just..." Tooru trailed, frowning, as a newcomer stepped off the latest rowboat and onto sand. 

The man's attire was similar to that of the rest of his crew, negate of outstanding height or features like some of the others, though he was far tanner than some of his counterparts. Keiji could feel the lack of air his brother wasn't breathing in, could see the gills of his neck quiver for it, and he cursed when the only clear words that carried on the breeze all morning was a name. 

"Iwaizumi!" 

The newcomer waved in response, and Tooru raised himself up higher on the rock they were peering behind. 

"It's him." Tooru _finally_ breathed. 

Keiji had seen a thousand expressions on his brother's face. He had seen Tooru in awe of the vessels they knew as ships when they passed the island, the calm glare he set upon a young Keiji when teaching the basics of hunting and Keiji unknowingly put himself in harm's way, and the fondness in his sigh as Keiji surpassed him in skill with a spear. When Tooru had returned from that tainted night, Keiji had seen a look in his brother's features he had never before. Keiji didn't know what it was, just that it irritated him. Tooru had been radiating brighter than the glow of his scales. He saw it once more in that moment, as Tooru at long last, caught sight of the human he talked about incessantly -- even years later. 

A smaller presence appeared on Keiji's empty side, another sharp pair of eyes studying Tooru's face. While the older mers bonded in a way neither Keiji nor Kenma could intrude, the same could be said for the younger ones. There were many nights, when Tooru was away, that the two shared their concerns, and even their distaste, over their brother's actions. They had learned early on that their sentiments could not always be shared wholly with Koushi since the leader of them was often torn between his need to care for the physical and emotional well being of each of them. And, generally, if something was said to either of the two older mers, the information was usually passed onto the other. 

Their shared gaze set on their other brother, hoping to find some solidarity among the three of them, but what they found was a sad expectancy. Koushi, too, looked excited for Tooru and to see so many humans close to them. Though Koushi held a bit of concern still in his gaze, the two younger mers could clearly see the divide between them. 

Irritated, Keiji pushed away from the rocks. "It's near lunch time. We should hunt before the fish settle for their afternoon naps." He itched for his spear, to let his annoyance flow through the power of the weapon. _We've seen enough for now,_ he wanted to add but he held back his tongue. Upsetting Tooru now would only lead to disastrous results.

Looking behind as he waited by the mouth of the cove, he saw only Koushi retreating from the rocks, albeit reluctantly. Kenma hesitated, still watching Tooru who had not budged. 

"Tooru," Koushi called. "Kenma-chan."

A powerful blue tail flicked at them, a sharp contrast to Keiji's own pitch black. "Go on ahead without me, I want to keep observing." 

Keiji was about to surge forward, to open his mouth, to speak the sharp words on the tip of his tongue, to tell his brother to stop wasting his time on some human, but a firm hand and stern amber eyes stopped him. Koushi shook his head slightly, telling him the argument wasn't worth it. Kenma looked between them and Tooru, whose back still faced them, still so intent on watching this 'Iwa-chan'. Even the name made Keiji turn his nose. 

"I'll stay with him," Kenma offered, waving Keiji off. "We'll meet with you for lunch soon." 

 _I'll keep Tooru away from the human._ Kenma's gold eyes told him silently, reassuring Keiji while also preventing a fight that wouldn't end well. While Keiji's skills in hunting and fighting had surpassed Tooru's long ago, thanks to his great tutelage, Keiji would still lose in a battle of dominance between them. Tooru's mental capacity for strategy was still far above Keiji's, and in the end, respect for his mentor would outweigh his frustration. So Keiji nodded, agreeing to leave Tooru be, and then dove down into the depths of the sea, following Koushi's bright orange tail. 

~~~~~~~~

Tooru sighed as his brothers swam away. He knew of Keiji's feelings, he understood his younger brother's concern, but Tooru was sure of his own emotions. Just as he was sure that the man he saw aboard the ship last night was the one and the same as the boy he met all those years ago, the small boy that captured his heart. He couldn't help it, nor could he resist when seeing Iwa-chan aboard that ship, heard his matured voice. Tooru acted on impulse, on his desperate need to learn about the man the boy had become. 

And there Iwa-chan was, trying to help his crew members only to be respectfully rejected, judging from how he flitted from group to group with growing distress over his head. When the pair that went into the forest returned, even the small flying boy skirted around Iwaizumi. Guilt panged Tooru at the treatment, knowing the strain he caused Iwaizumi's crew and ship. After all, Tooru had heard Iwaizumi's frantic shouts while leading his vessel to the sharp rocks that weren't enough to completely wreck it, but enough to keep them on the island for just a little bit of time. 

Kenma pressed into his side, intertwining their tails as he often did, a comforting gesture between them. Scarlet and cyan twisting around each other upon reflex, and Kenma's gaze was now upon the men as well, watching and listening with the same intensity, but less scorn, as Keiji. 

Keiji meant well, Tooru knew. For years, he deflected his younger brother's growing irritation with humor and light-heartedness, but now was not a time Tooru could treat as lightly. He had a small window of opportunity, to spend time with Iwaizumi until his ship set sail again. It was selfish, Tooru knew, but one night as young children was no longer enough for him. He needed to prove to himself that the bond he felt almost instantaneously was not one-sided, not the fascination with humans Keiji and his other brothers believed. Tooru needed to be sure of what he felt before making his ultimate decision to follow Iwaizumi forever, to never let him go again. 

Eyeing Iwa-chan still, Tooru observed the human beginning to walk down the shore, towards a small pool, frustration clear in his movements. Soon enough, he was joined by two others, the three of them in deep conversation as they continued to walk away from the larger group.  Tooru turned slightly to look down at his youngest brother who had clung to Tooru ever since he was small. Smiling lightly, he tilted his voice in the way the others found annoying yet endearing all the same. 

"Say, Kenma-kun. Why don't we get a little bit closer?"    

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this was a bit short, and to leave you off with a cliff hanger last time! (Also, this may be one of my weaker chapters and for that, I am sorry.)
> 
> If you ever see any typos, please let me know. I fail to catch em all ... 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!


	4. you were red; and you liked me because I was blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iwaizumi and Kenma know not how to express feelings... or entirely understand them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Dawn as always. (Go check out their fics @eccentrick)

Iwaizumi resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose when Tanaka and Noya told him, quite plainly, to fuck off. After the scare he put them all through, they had every right to be upset with him and turn away his help. His crew, despite his panic and blind raging orders, had performed their best, honored the trust they had in his leadership, the trust he had in them. In return, though, Iwaizumi had failed to honor their trust in him, putting them all in unnecessary danger. 

As right as they were, Iwaizumi was frustrated, mostly at himself. Scowling, but with an understanding nod, he walked away from the rest. They all needed some space; the crash had pushed all of them far over the edge. Even Hinata lost his grip and fell overboard. Iwaizumi cursed at himself as his eyes stuck to the ground, boot kicking a large pebble as hard as he could. It was a new rule in his mind, stored for later: all new crew members are required to swim before even stepping a foot on board. 

Watching Hinata go flying into the water once they had anchored closer to the island's coast had not been as nearly terrifying when Iwaizumi heard the ginger's garbled shouts for help, that he couldn't swim. Iwaizumi still remembered the day Hinata had snuck aboard his ship and begged to be a part of his crew, embellishing all the skills he held in such a small body. 

How could you ask to be a pirate and not know how to swim? Iwaizumi groused internally, knowing he wasn't truly angry with Hinata. 

He kicked another rock. 

"Iwaizumi," he heard, stopped, and waited for Kuroo, along with Sawamura, to join him. 

They would have to start speaking somehow, if only to serve the hard truth of the consequences Iwaizumi would surely endure. While the rest of the crew actively ignored their captain or turned away his help, none of them dared to accuse Iwaizumi's actions to his face, leaving that job to Kuroo and Sawamura. Well, except one of them. 

Iwaizumi nodded at their arrival before returning his glare to the sand beneath their feet. "How's Bokuto?" He asked when the two stood on either side of him. 

Kuroo shrugged. "He's calmed down, though he's still a bit upset with you."

"Does he still think I was hunting a sea cow?" 

Hinata had not been the only one to surprise Iwaizumi that day, and not in a good way. Once they cast off the anchor, Bokuto was shouting at him, throwing his drum to the ground and moving to shove Iwaizumi to the ground. He wasn't sure of the extent of the normally good natured man would go to if Kuroo hadn't held his best friend back. 

 _What are you, some sick crazy hunter?! Kuroo, I want off this ship right fucking now!_   It was as though just looking at Iwaizumi had hurt the musician, turning away from his captain as quickly as he tried to charge at Iwaizumi. Bokuto's words replayed in tandem with Hinata's cries for help.

Iwaizumi knew Bokuto cared for animals, both on land and at sea, always befriending a new pup or fowl. The man hated hunting, always opting out of fishing, always eyed the spears they kept in the galley with mild disgust. 

"No," Kuroo shook his head. "He believes you when you say weren't trying to kill whatever it was you were chasing, but he still thinks that was a dick move."

Bokuto had joined Iwaizumi's ship for Kuroo, knowing it was the best chance either of them had to survive. But the musician had only agreed to board Iwaizumi's ship because of the code they upheld. 

They were pirates for hunted for treasure, who thieved and fought upon the waves, but they never stole from the poor nor did they kill without reason. Even the hunting they occasionally resorted to, when they were miles and miles away from the nearest civilization and their supplies limited and depleting, was always done with the respect owed to the Sea Mother's children. Bokuto could accept these things, eat the meat placed in front of him, but he couldn't condone what he thought was the senseless chasing after some sea creature in the middle of the night. 

"I'm sorry." Iwaizumi spoke lowly. He had lost count of how often he had said those words in that day alone, but surely far more than he ever had in his life. The only one who didn't seem as upset with him was Kageyama, who focused more of his irritation on Hinata who couldn't swim. 

"You're an idiot." Sawamura started. 

As the former commander of a royal fleet, he of all people knew what it was to be responsible for so many people, people you considered family. When Sawamura left the navy, he hadn't been leaving because he hated his position, Iwaizumi knew. Sawamura left because his crew was far more important to him than his position. Although Kuroo had been with Iwaizumi longer, when the time came, he knew had to give Sawamura Daichi the honor of being quartermaster. Iwaizumi also knew there was one storm of a lecture about to burst out of the sturdy man, and Kuroo was going to let him do it.

 "First of all, I understand you panicked after seeing what you thought was a mer of all things. However, did it ever occur to you that the hallucination wouldn't have happened if you slept? How many times did I tell you to get some rest? Your lack of self care led to your crew nearly sinking this morning. You're lucky." Daichi pinned him with a stern glare Iwaizumi forced himself to meet. "We're lucky the damage wasn't enough to sink us, and we're lucky to have hit so close to an island with enough resources." 

"But you're not out of the woods, yet." Kuroo smirked, patting Iwaizumi harshly on the back. 

Iwaizumi felt his brows tighten even more. When the carpenter grinned like that, Iwaizumi knew something akin to imminent death was approaching. 

"You'll have to be the one to tell the crew we have to get the ship ashore." Kuroo's grin dropped, hand falling away. 

Shit. 

"That's... Are you..." Logically speaking, Iwaizumi knew this may needed to be done in the worst of scenarios, but he still grasped around in his mind to find a better solution that didn't require the most extensive labor his men would need to exert.

"It's a big ass ship." Kuroo stated before beginning to whistle and look around them, hands locked behind his head. "We'll need some long ass ropes."

"We're not sure we have the strength to pull it ashore," Sawamura added, holding his hands clasped behind his back, still searching for another option. The only one resigned to their fate was Kuroo. "Even if we manage to pull it ashore, it will be twice as hard to push the ship back out." 

"We're lucky enough there's enough timber to repair the ship, even if the damage is cosmetic at the most. We don't want to risk sinking on the open water."  

Iwaizumi was still the captain, albeit being scolded and reprimanded by his two vice leaders. He nodded his approval to the plan but not without a long drawn out sigh. He couldn't think of another solution, and by the resignation in Sawamura's shoulders, neither had he. 

I'm screwed, he thought, as if there was ever a chance to make his already upset crew even more aggravated with him. Now he had to tell them to put their backs into it and pull a near 100ton ship ashore because there was no port on the island. There was no way around it. Iwaizumi had caused the crash, or rather, his lack of thinking did, but he was still the captain and he would be the one to own the consequences. He straightened his back, apologized once more to both men who nodded their forgiveness, and began to discuss in length the amount of material they would need and the best way to utilize their strength to get the ship ashore. The three of them stopped walking, huddling together near a small tide pool far enough away from the crew yet still in sight of them.

"We could help with that." The water in the pool shifted beside them as the newcomer arrived. Iwaizumi was stuck staring at Kuroo's features, hearing _that_ voice again and fearing he was truly becoming crazy. "Mers are rather strong, you know." 

But, no, Iwaizumi wasn't crazy because Kuroo no longer held his gaze and looked like _he_ might be going crazy. Iwaizumi turned to follow Kuroo's line of sight to the pool not ten feet away from them, and when he met face to face with a grown Tooru, he couldn't help it. His feet were charging forward at the brunet mer faster than Iwaizumi could think about the fact that the mer was real, he was there, and how Iwaizumi had never felt as high as he did when he took in Tooru's face. He didn't have time to analyze the beating in his chest and the stuck lodging of something in his throat as he stomped into the water, disregarding his boots. 

"Why you fucking--" Iwaizumi wanted to hit him, to smack off the once tenderly sweet smile that morphed into a smile that was disgustingly dripping with sugar, to shake the mer and maybe push him below the surface just to hold him. But instead, his hand cut the water, causing a large splash with enough force behind it to qualify as a small wave. 

"Rude, Iwa-chan! _Rude_!" Tooru yelped, lifting his arms as if they could protect against the water. "You've ruined my hair!"

Tooru was right in front of him, less than two feet away, his tail floating beneath the crystal clear water. Iwaizumi was soaked halfway up his chest, but the pent up energy in him was torn and he moved to strike yet another blow to the water. 

"Careful, Iwaizumi." Kuroo's pleased, almost knowing, voice called closer than he thought. Iwaizumi paused to find Kuroo perching on a rock, hovering over the tide pool, looking down. "Looks like your mystery man has a protector."  He gestured at the smaller, raven haired mer that was frozen momentarily in shock with sharp teeth bared and long nails ready to scratch Iwaizumi. Upon being noticed, the smaller mer dropped position and sunk into the water, black hair floating around gold irises that still watched them warily above the surface. 

"Oh, Kenma-kun. Iwa-chan is just being rude because he doesn't know how to express his joy from seeing me. Everything's okay." Tooru beckoned at the smaller mer with a wave of his hand, still smiling wide enough to block out the sun. "Kenma, meet Iwa-chan."

Iwaizumi watched in fascination upon realizing Tooru was not alone, was not the only mer he had ever seen. Only a few steps away was a mer ready to attack him for Tooru. He barely managed a nod in his stupor. Kenma, the younger mer was called, sidled up to Tooru's side, who wrapped a protective arm around the slighter's shoulders. Still being watched by those glinted irises, Iwaizumi finally felt heat rise to his face that wasn't due to the sun's power. He was stunned, or more like, embarrassed by Tooru's words, into silence because it was true. Iwaizumi was, inexplicably, _happy_ to see the boy he met nearly twenty years prior was real. So real that all Iwaizumi had to do was reach out a hand and touch him. He felt his lips twitch in the beginnings of returning the mer's grin. 

"Who are your friends, Iwa-chan?" 

"Yes, _Iwa-chan_ , aren't you going to introduce us?" Kuroo sat back on the same rock, his position relaxed as he smirked at the glare sent his way by Tooru. 

"Ah, that's Kuroo Testurou, the boatswain and carpenter of my crew." Iwaizumi gestured while noticing the smaller mer's unease. "Don't mind him. He's like a cat, acts aloof and condescending all at once." 

Kuroo shrugged, as if to say he couldn't argue. Iwaizumi turned to the other side, finding Sawamura flat on his ass, eyes wide as he stared at Tooru and Kenma. Confused, Iwaizumi moved to exit the pool, dripping wet and heavy, but held out a hand to help Sawamura up nonetheless. 

"You alright there, Sawamura?" He asked as his first mate who was still busy staring at the mers to even wipe off the sand. 

"Wh-what...what are those?" Sawamura finally exclaimed, eyes blinking rapidly as though, in a second, he would wake up from a dream. 

Iwaizumi knew how he felt.  

Tooru let out an indignant huff. "We're _mers_ , or perhaps better rumored to be the sirens of the sea that lead men to their death." 

 "Sawamura, this is Tooru, the mystery creature we were chasing last night. Tooru, this is Sawamura, my quartermaster." Iwaizumi patted the man's shoulder. "Don't worry. The rumors aren't true. Mers can't stomach human flesh." 

The tender smile from Iwaizumi's memory softened Tooru's face when he glanced back at the mer, and Iwaizumi knew the Tooru from his dreams was now a reality. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

 _Quartermaster? Boatswain?_  

Kenma watched his brother interact so easily with the three humans. He racked his brain for the meanings of these words, wishing he could follow the conversation about lumber, rope, and navigation as easily as Tooru could. While he was sure Tooru had explained all of these things to him before, that he inherently knew what all these words meant, could follow the conversation if he tried harder rather than avoiding the intent gaze of the human perched on the rock. The one who directed that teasing lilt at him, a far darker tone than Tooru's. 

 _Kuroo Testurou_ , humans have two names, Kenma remembered from Tooru's teaching over the years. Lumber were the trees after they had been cut, rope was the tight strings Tooru sometimes brought home to help tie things together, and navigation, well,  Kenma didn't really need to remember that. Navigation was the official term for what Kenma did, watching the sky, determining location, and guiding them all on better currents. 

Kuroo Testurou was just another human, and Kenma had seen plenty of those. He had seen the dark glances that made him tense with fear and the heavy, watchful eyes that made Kenma want to hide. But Kenma couldn't understand why the man sitting on the rock, watching Kenma, didn't bother him in the way other humans did. It still made him uncomfortable, though, made him want to sink beneath the surface completely, but he had promised Keiji he would stay with their brother. 

He tried to tune in back to the conversation between the four others, Iwa-chan and Sawamura, who had calmed, resting on the sand. Kenma didn't like to look at Iwaizumi, he didn't want to see the tanned skin, brute muscles, and caring gaze the human set on his brother, so he looked down, around, anywhere he could. His gaze returned to Kuroo every so often, and Kuroo met his eyes each time. Each time, it took Kenma a moment too long to look away. Kenma had never seen another with eyes like his, pure molten gold. A cat, Iwaizumi had called him. Kenma wasn't sure he had ever seen such a creature, but if this Kuroo was so much like one, Kenma wondered if he, too, had the eyes of a cat. 

Kuroo had shifted the next time Kenma glanced at him, the man now sitting forward, one hand holding up his chin. The other hand toyed with something hanging loosely around his neck. What had Tooru called it? Jewelry? No, a necklace, Kenma recalled. 

Like their eyes, the color was gold but dull, yet it caught the glint of the sun anyway. Kenma glanced at his brother, noticing how engrossed Tooru and Iwaizumi looked as they conversed, smiles never leaving them. 

You'll understand when you see it, Koushi told him, Tooru has a look of love whenever he first wakes from a dream about his human. 

Kenma couldn't help the silent little huff that escaped him as he detached himself from Tooru, his normally sharply observant brother not noticing. Only his eyes still above water, Kenma slowly approached the man who finally let off his gaze and was talking to Sawamura on the sand below him. 

Seizing his opportunity, Kenma shot up when he drew close enough, his wet hand wrapping around the hanging gold object... only for a dry, calloused hand to wrap around his wrist in turn. Kenma cursed to the Sea Mother, overly relying on his speed to whip the chain off, not accounting for the stiff links. Kenma had never touched a necklace before, he hadn't known. 

When he looked up, a breath caught in his throat. Gold irises mirrored one another. 

"Would you like to see my locket?" Kuroo smiled, not a grin or a smirk, but a curious twinge of the lips, as though he was withholding his laughter. 

Kenma's cheeks burned as bright as his tail, he could feel the conversation halt and all eyes on him. 

"No." He managed to grind out softly, too soft for anyone to hear. Letting go of the object, Kenma twisted around. 

Forget about his promise to Keiji, he thought. Tooru didn't need him there, and he was not about to give in to the alluring gaze of a stranger.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dawn: how old is Iwa-chan in this again?  
> Me: about late 20s, maybe 26 or 28. leaning towards 28 tho  
> Dawn: how old were they when they met as kids?  
> Me: oh about 9 or 10, leaning towards 10  
> Dawn: so... they've been pining for over 20 years?  
> Me: oh. oh shit. 
> 
> Moral of the story: Dawn and I don't know how to math. 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading! It's been a challenge to get this out in recent times, and I still feel like it's not the best it can be, but I wanted to get this out. Next chapter might be a little while coming since I'm in the middle of finals week and then I'll be graduating~ 
> 
> Comments! You all spoil me with comments, and I'm really thankful to those who comment! And leave kudos and sub and bookmark. 
> 
> Thanks again everyone, and good luck to anyone who's also surviving Finals Hell!


	5. and you were everything i'd never seen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alternative title for this fic: Ships Galore

The next morning, eight tired, sweaty pirates collapsed onto the sand. Their muscles were exhausted and strained; their skin was flushed red from exertion under the morning sun. Even with the help of the mers, the humans dropped the ropes that burned their hands as soon as the ship was pulled up far enough on the shore.  

The mer from yesterday, Tooru, Daichi recalled, had brought them pails of freshwater to them soon after, not a sign of fatigue in his features. For once, Daichi laid still along with the rest, forcing Iwaizumi and Kuroo to retrieve the pails from Tooru and his brother who laid out on the shore, tails in full view under the demanding sun.

He threw an arm over his eyes and laid on his back, trying his best to relax the tension in his shoulders. 

Four mers? Daichi could hardly handle knowing about one, let alone seeing one. Mers were things of legends, stories of drunk men and little children, things a practical man of sound mind disregarded. Tooru's size alone was terrifying to Daichi. The mer was nothing but lean, toned muscle above the navel, but that wasn't what struck fear into Daichi. It was Tooru's tail. Probably longer than Daichi was tall, fast as a whip but with the strength of ten men, the tail propelled the mer through the water with ease. 

And now there were _four_ mers, four powerful tails that could easily destroy their ship as efficiently they had shoved it ashore. Daichi had seen all four tails in the water, but the only familiar faces he saw were Tooru's and Kenma's, whose presence calmed him despite one of the others who only directed sharp, green eyes at them. He didn't catch sight of the fourth mer, but at the very least, Tooru seemed to be the largest out of all his siblings. 

At the sound of fresh water, Hinata popped up, yelling his thanks before nearly dunking his head in one of the buckets. Kageyama was right beside him, too thirsty to yell at Hinata like normal. Soon enough, the whole of them swarmed the pails of water, desperate to abate their parched throats. Daichi slowly stood on his feet, brushing away the sand sticking to his sweaty skin. The several other pirates surrounded the mers like they were offering a silver tonic that would heal all your afflictions.

"You're," Noya gulped for air after slurping all he could as quick as he could. 

"Amazing," Tanaka followed up, garbled through the refreshment making its way down his throat. 

"Tooru-senpai! Koushi-senpai!" 

Koushi? Daichi tried to edge around the group, to find a break in their formation, but in the end, he had to stand on the tips of his toes. 

It must have been yesterday all over again. Daichi felt his eyes widened, his mouth fall slightly open; he willingly wanted to fall back down after seeing what must have been a literal angel. Only it wasn't an angel, it was the fourth mer, this... this Koushi. 

Daichi couldn't stay on his toes forever, but the brief glimpse was all he needed to know that Koushi was the most beautiful being he ever laid his eyes upon. Half-fish and frightening or not. He suddenly understood why Iwaizumi had steered them right into a reef of sharp rocks to chase after Tooru. If all his blood wasn't already in his face, he was sure it would have rushed to make his cheeks blossom. 

A small hand tugged sharply on his sleeve. Daichi swiveled and took a step back to see Kenma set a pail of water on the sand and quickly shove it towards him.

Had Scarlet Tail caught Daichi nearly falling over for his brother? Could he possibly deduce that? Could mers read minds? Frowning, Daichi remembered once again of all the things they didn't know about the mers. Whether that was a good thing or not, he wasn't sure. 

Kenma was still there, and Daichi coughed in a poor attempt to cover his wariness. "Thank you." 

He cupped his hands in the water and lifted it to his lips, aware of the strange position it was to be in, meeting a mer's gaze. Man on land, Mer in sea, meeting at a converging point, equal and not all at once. Yet, Kenma wasn't looking at him, nor was the young mer attempting to dash away. Instead, he was staring past Daichi, lips pouting and eyes watching with an intrigue caution Daichi felt. 

Daichi didn't need to follow Kenma's line of sight to know what the mer was staring at until a sharp glint caused him to reflexively shield his eyes. Behind him, Kuroo was purposely toying with the locket around his neck. Daichi knew he was doing it to catch the young mer's attention from the falsely nonchalant whistle of Kuroo's lips. It was working, and the eyeroll Daichi did was but another reflex. 

First Iwaizumi, and now Kuroo. It looked like Daichi was the only one left to be the rational person on the island.

"Fuck this, I'm swimming!" Tanaka roared, shirt already long gone from earlier, and now he tugged off his boots. 

Noya let out a whoop in agreement, throwing his shirt at Asahi, before yelling at Tooru. "Do you think you could give me a ride? You're wicked fast." 

"Eh?! I bet I could beat Tooru-senpai in a race. Imagine that, Tanaka, conqueror of the Seven Seas, racing with a mer!" His laugh was infectious, seeping into the other tired pirates, and Hinata echoed his claim.

 "Sure." Tooru shrugged, nodding to Noya. "You're small enough. And don't think you could, baldy." 

Noya let the slight at his height go, for once much to Daichi's surprise, running to hop on the mer's back. 

Daichi yelled at him to stop, at Tanaka to calm down. " _You don't just jump full speed onto someone_!"

But the two were already gone, Noya on Tooru's back and Tanaka sprinting into the waves in attempt to follow. Daichi raised his palm to cover his face, groaning. His muscles were far too tired for their antics, and his ears were going to burst as Hinata, Bokuto, and Kuroo shouted at the three of them swimming in the sea. Tanaka was no match for Tooru, but the mer toyed with him, slowing to let the rowdy pirate to catch up only to speed forward again. 

"They're quite the handful, aren't they?" 

Daichi watched, frozen, as the silver haired beauty languidly approached him in the water. When the mer was close enough, Daichi noticed the hazel brown eyes and -- is that a beauty mark -- crinkled with the mer's smile. 

"I-I apologize, they're honestly too much sometimes. I hope Tooru-san doesn't mind." 

The mer tilted his head in confusion. Was it something he said? Daichi twiddled his thumbs, stuffing his hands into his pockets, but then the mer smiled. 

"Tooru-chan wouldn't do anything he didn't want to, though, I do think wanting to impress your captain is a part of it." The mer batted the air, a touch-less reassurance. "And don't worry, those two, Tanaka and Noya, was it? They remind me of Keiji-kun and Tooru-chan when they were younger." 

"Keiji?" 

"The mer who was busy glaring at you all earlier." Koushi gave a light laugh, still directing that smile that made Daichi feel uncomfortable in the best ways. 

He cleared his throat. "Oh, um, I-I didn't notice." Daichi tried to return the smile before he backtracked in fear, his hands out from his pockets. "Not that I didn't notice your brother, just that--"

"Oh, it's fine." Koushi's hand finally made contact with Daichi's outstretched one, cold yet warm all at once. "Keiji-kun wasn't particularly social this morning, and that's no one's fault. He'll come around, though. We've just had some bad encounters with humans before, is all." The mer turned his head, baring some of his neck. In the bright sunlight, the pale scar stretched down from the edge of Koushi's jaw and down the mer's throat to touch the tip of his collarbone. 

"I'm sorry." Daichi relaxed, if only slightly. His eyes downcast, respecting what he considered a quiet gift before returning the gesture. "Humans can be cruel." He pushed up the sleeve of his right arm, baring the clean scar from a slice that nearly cut out more than his arm. 

"It is life." The mer shrugged, gentle smile returning to enlighten his features. "Now, I don't believe I know your title. Tooru-chan spoke of you all so quickly yesterday, I can barely remember it all. I'm Koushi, the eldest." 

"Sawamura Daichi, quartermaster of Seijoh, the finest vessel on the sea." Daichi bowed. "A pleasure to meet you, Koushi-san."

"An endearment already?" Koushi laughed, almost sounding nervous to Daichi's ears, hazel eyes showing more than before. "And what is that you're doing, stooping over like that?"

Daichi blinked. "An... endearment? I-I didn't? I don't understand."

"Koushi- _san_." The mer emphasized. "We only use endearments when we're close to someone." 

Daichi blushed, surprised by the reversal of their meanings. "We call them honorifics, and we use it to show respect along with, or sometimes, familiarity. When we don't use them and use your first name, it means we are especially close. The opposite from your use. And this," continuing, Daichi 'stooped' over. "is a bow, another form of respect."

"So formal," Koushi teased. If it was even possible, his smile got bigger. And Daichi returned it as he stood to his full height again. "Humans are so strange."

Daichi snorted, thinking still that mers were a bit frightening, but then, he supposed, humans were strange -- to a mer. He was a perfect example, understanding the racing in his veins but ignoring it all the same while talking to a beauty in the water. 

Iwaizumi and Kuroo weren't the only ones too far gone now. 

 

**~~~~~~~**

 

Bokuto rummaged through the chest between his and Kuroo's separate hammocks.

He had his shamishen, his drum, his cymbals... Now, where was it?

When his hands finally reached the bottom of the trunk, he let out a pleased hum and gripped the spine of the book. It was his favorite one, tattered and frayed at the edges. Kuroo had stolen it off a vendor when they were younger, and the memory made Bokuto smile. They were always pirates, Kuroo told him when they first boarded Seijoh. Nevermind the fact that Bokuto also didn't know how to swim at the time. (He learned eventually and Iwaizumi never had to know.) Ignoring the other books in the chest, ones he hasn't read and knows he should soon, Bokuto closed the trunk.

He boarded down the ship, carefully gripping the sack of instruments and ignoring the [gangway](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6673228/chapters/15916183#comments) as he sprung down along [Jacob's ladder](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6673228/chapters/15916183/#comments), humming all the way. 

Landing on his bare feet in the sand, Bokuto wiggled his toes. His favorite part about being a pirate was the different coasts he got to sink his feet in, so much better than the rocky mountainside where he grew up. The sights he saw sailing across the sea were vivid and always new to his eyes.

Bokuto waved to the others as they passed by, all glad for some rest before beginning work again tomorrow. Noya and Asahi passed by to walk the gangway back onto the ship. Tanaka hooted some distance away. Bokuto shot them a thumbs up as they climbed up the ramp before walking towards the forest. He waved to Kuroo and Daichi who were busy setting up camp on the beach for another night while Tanaka draped himself over the fire pit, stirring something in that cauldron of his.

Kuroo asked where he was going when his steps didn't stop, Bokuto responded "To read!" over his shoulder.

"Actually read the words, Bokuto, not just recite them!"

Bokuto huffed even if he knew it was true. He could read, though not as efficient as Kuroo, but he _could_ read. Even if he had some bad habits, one of them stemming from childhood. He always had Kuroo read the book to him first, then try to read it himself. But rather than sounding out the words, looking around for its meaning, as Kuroo had often taught him, Bokuto simply recalled the way Kuroo had said the word, skimming over effortlessly until Kuroo realized Bokuto hadn't understood a single thing he read aloud. 

The only stories he could comprehend based on memory alone were the children stories Kuroo stole for him, like the one of the two little owls he held in his hand. Clutching the book closer to his chest and shifting the sack of instruments on his shoulder, Bokuto entered past the forest tree line, still humming to a tune that had long sunk in his memory.

Books about sea navigation or an old maid finally finding love with the rich patron of the manor? Forget it. Bokuto blew a raspberry even though he was alone and Kuroo was nowhere near. The only other books Bokuto cared for, and didn't really have to try reading, were the books of mathematic equations Kuroo sometimes got his hands on.

Since boarding the ship, their stealing had become less and less. Kuroo rather spending the gold for books, freshly bound and inked... Only for Bokuto to neglect them.

He really should get started on those books. As Kuroo often reminded him, he wouldn't get much better at reading if he only read the same books over and over again.

Bokuto took in the fresh feel of soil beneath his feet, inhaling the green of the trees. He could hear birds singing and fluttering their wings. He stepped over a fallen tree, ducked under vines, and followed an unknown path. He was in search of something, a quiet place to play his music and read. Throughout his walk, Bokuto could hear the undercurrent of trickling water. He could see streams of it, not wider than his palm at most and thinner than his pinky at the least, paving way through the soil like molten lightening on the ground.

He followed it the best he could, coming across mini pools and, at some point, what could be considered a lake. Or a large pond, whichever way one looked at it. Bokuto would have to show Kuroo these later, imprinting their paths in his mind.

After getting through a particularly thick foliage, Bokuto burst his way through, minding his instruments. Bokuto saw an image he saw only in the painted images of his books, a place they had never sailed to before. An oasis.

An oasis in the middle of a forest in the middle of an island, surrounded by rich soil and not golden sand, but still small, cool in nature, shadowed by spotted trees all around, providing shade and vibrant flowers. Colors Bokuto had never seen before, all along the pool's edge.

Picking a smooth rock, he pulled out his shamishen and plucked a few strings. The sound reverberated around the small space, rippling lightly across the still surface. The feel of the string soothes him, settles his mind and body into one calm state for as long as the note holds. 

The air is crisp despite the bright sunlight that peers through the tree tops, making spots of the water's surface turn to sparkling glass. Bokuto tries to pluck a tune to match the beauty he sees, the breeze he feels. 

Tomorrow would be a long day, he could tell. While the crew enjoyed the deserted island, Kuroo and Sawamura were antsy to get the ship back into working order. Soon, they would be bringing out their blades to cut down the rich brown trunks of the island. Bokuto frowned slightly at that. 

The shamishen ended Bokuto's song on a wistful note, short and bittersweet. Bokuto inhaled, deep enough to feel the essence of the island fill his chest. 

_Thank you._

Bokuto exhaled. He had let the love build up before releasing it back into the world. Two simple words was all Bokuto could offer, and he had been saying it for as long as he could remember. He didn't want to think about tomorrow when tomorrow seemed so far away. 

Judging by the sun's position, Bokuto thought he still had some time before dinner. He had a feeling dinner would be especially late today with all three of their authorities were likely off with one of the mers. 

He switched the stringed instrument for the small drum he brought along and tapped his callous fingertips across the taught hide; his thoughts sank to the bottom of the pond he dipped his feet. In his mind, Bokuto could vividly recall the path he had taken to the small oasis, already tracing the steps he would take to get back when the sun set. 

The restlessness in his thoughts were back, and Bokuto scratched at his head, fingers threading through his wild hair, loosening it from its hold. When he attempted to remove his hand, he found it caught on numerous tangles that hurt to shake out. Grimacing, Bokuto looked at his hands. Who knew playing with sand could get so dirty? 

He eyed the pool of water. It was so clean, refreshing, the exact distraction he needed to ease the memory of the last proper conversation he and Kuroo had a mere few days ago. 

Few days was harder than it should be, Bokuto thought as he shrugged off his shirt. His pants soon falling into the pile. His hair was getting far too long, Bokuto untied the string completely from the small pony tail he had taken to styling. He would have to ask Kuroo to cut it for him. 

Bokuto slipped into the water, taking great care to keep the ripples to a minimum, as if he could control such a thing. The temperature was perfect, and soon, he found himself tilting back to float on his back, his hair thoroughly soaked. 

He snorted at what a sight he'd be, long white and black hair floating around his head, like the rivulets of water that cut into the earth, a map to something both beautiful and strange.

_**~~~** _

_"What's this?" he had asked the grinning Kuroo, tenderly poking at the rolls of long paper before gingerly picking up what he knew to be a compass. He dropped it just as quickly._

_The raven shrugged. "You've got the best sense of direction, Bo, and I'd rather not get lost in another maze."_

_Bokuto chuckled briefly until his lips frowned once more, still eyeing the materials. He thought about his scrawly handwriting, his weak spelling, his hesitance to put ink to paper._

_"After this next trip, when we're sailing back north, I'm asking Iwaizumi to make a stop."_

_"Kuroo..." Bokuto said quietly, a rare thing between them. "I like it on the ship."_

_"It won't be permanent, I promise." Kuroo took a seat on the bench, pressing his side into Bokuto's. "I made you a promise, and I won't break it. We finally have enough to send you to school."_

_A cartography school. Bokuto knew which one Kuroo was thinking of, the citadel  sat on a cliff side overlooking the sea. They had seen it a total of three times in their time aboard Seijou, and each time it shone brighter than any star, almost blinding them with potential._

_"You'd be a great cartographer, you know. You can do it, I believe in you."_

_When Bokuto didn't respond, Kuroo sighed. His shoulders were hunched over his shamishen, and he watched himself scuff the just polished floor of the ship with his toe. He felt the squeeze on his wrist, the same reassuring touch from their youth. Kuroo had decided, but Bokuto had yet to decide for himself. There was too much too think about, too many twisting emotions, want intertwined with guilt and shame. His best friend stood up to get back to work on the broken door in the kitchen._

_"Thank you."_

_It was the least Bokuto could say._

 

**~~~~~~~**

 

Keiji's tail thumped against the rocks that rested beneath the pond's surface in frustration. 

This was _his_ spot, and he thought he made it clear earlier that morning he did _not_ like the pirates. Apparently, though, the pirates were stupid, this one especially so, who did not leave no matter the amount of sharp scrapes of his nails against stone, his quiet hisses, his low growls. 

Keiji had come to his favorite place among the whole island for distance, for quiet. He was still angry at the pirates' arrival, at Tooru and Koushi and even Kenma, but anger wasn't something Keiji liked to feel. The pond was his only respite, a safe place where he could think as clear as the water and not be bothered. 

Until this idiot showed up and jumped into the water. Keiji had tried his best to capture the man's attention, or rather, scare him away from the pond, but no. The pirate didn't even look up at the odd, threatening noises that should have sent him running back to their camp on the beach. 

He had turned away when he realized the man had begun to bathe, embarrassed at the sudden intrusive thought: _They apparently do have similar anatomy as us, then, just not covered._ Keiji was observant, but even that information was unnecessary for him to know. Though he knew one of his brothers would be rather glad to know of it, and that only fueled Keiji's indignation. 

Diving below the surface and avoiding the small corals that clung to the cylindrical cave in his section of pond, he rested and curled his tail in a small crevice. At the very least, he could find peace still below the water surface. He could not watch the birds fly ahead, but he could watch the mindless fish that passed, peeking and poking through the kelp that stretched tall from the pond floor. They were all more free than he. 

Sunlight was a blurred spot on the surface a few meters above him but was enough to see below. All Keiji wanted, though, was peace. He closed his eyes and pressed his back lightly against the cavern wall. Resting his head, Keiji breathed slow and deep through his gills, the normal feeling of apathy wrapping him like that of the membrane in which he broke free as a pup.

Koushi always said it was better to let out your emotions, to trap them inside a bubble was never healthy, that there was a freedom in expressing your happiness, in voicing your despair. Keiji tended to disagree. Releasing his emotions was taxing, of both mind and body. It left him short of breath, his head aching with thought. He was naturally analytical, but in a detached form. He could inspect a ray of light bouncing off an emerald leaf versus its reflection in the mirror Tooru procured once. Even studying schools of fish and their patterns was second nature to Keiji, but to think of emotions, how he manifested those emotions and why, it was taxing. 

To not feel was freedom itself. 

Keiji let the membrane of his mind slowly attach itself to his skin, bit by bit, starting from his nose and downwards. He was almost at his toes, almost completing the soothing capsule, imagining already that the man above would leave soon when sharp, high notes broke the mind dream. 

His hands reached for his ears, covering it against the horrid sound. At least, earlier, the tune had been lovely enough to quiet Keiji's temper for a moment, the beat rhythmic to tap his claws. Keiji was moving before he could truly think, his patience with the humans running thinner than he had thought it would. 

He broke through the surface faster than a bullet, spraying water as though someone had catapulted into the water and not out of it. A growl echoed from his throat, shuddering the tree leaves, only for it to get caught midway.

Round bronze eyes were already staring at him while he was dripping wet and his tail swishing with agitation. Only... they weren't watching him. At least, it took a few moments of Keiji watching the pirate's face contort in several directions in five seconds that told him the pirate was merely gazing off into the distance. Keiji had literally burst into his line of sight. 

His snarl fell, and he found himself staring blankly back at the now grinning pirate. 

... The now grinning pirate that was plucking his instrument by the pond shore and now thrashing through the water towards him. 

Keiji reeled back, using his tail to propel his momentum away from the incoming human, but the man had stopped a few feet from his original spot.

"Hey, hey, hey! You're that mer who glared at us all morning!" The man waved. "Hi!" 

Keiji forced his shoulders to relax, releasing the tension by increments, but only lowered them halfway. It would do no good to be wound up so tightly before springing into an action, only injuring your muscles and tiring you quicker, he recalled Tooru's lesson. He watched the pirate stuff his hand into his drying hair, his laughter and grin trailing off when Keiji offered no response. 

"Heh, um, I'm Bokuto! It's nice to meet you." 

The man's voice was loud, the intensity almost harsh on Keiji's sensitive ears. The reflected light off the gold plates in Bokuto's other hand hurt his eyes, yet drew his attention to it all the same. There were two of the things, and he had know idea how plates of all things could cause such a horrid sound, but there was no mistake they were the cause. 

The white-haired Bokuto followed his gaze, then shoved the things below the water. 

"Sorry!" he cleared his throat, his voice coming out quieter, but with more effort when he spoke next. "Was I disturbing you? Kuroo always says I'm too loud, but you usually can't tell with Noya and Tanaka around."

Keiji continued to watch him through narrowed eyes. Bokuto fidgeted more and more under the scrutiny, but Keiji simply did not know what to say to the human. 

"Um..." He looked anywhere but at Keiji, the flowers on the bank, the sky, before his eyes sparked and snapped back into focus. "Is this your spot? I'm really sorry if it is! It's beautiful here, I just wanted to play my music, and read, but I completely understand if I cause too much trouble. After all, I'm only a guest here, and you're really pretty. You're prettier than I was in that beauty pageant  I once did when I was twelve, and that was a pretty high standard of pretty. It was meant for girls, but Kuroo had me pretend so we could win the gold they'd been giving as a prize. I didn't win, but we stole the money anyway. I mean, I don't want to intrude if you're getting your beauty sleep or something. I hear that's really important for beauty, and water, but you're in water all the time, so --"

"You're a thief." A petty thief, like all pirates Keiji had come to learn. Although his face was impassive, the disdain dripped from his lips. 

Bokuto stopped his tirade, tan skin paling for a moment before coughing into his hand and rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, but Kuroo and I don't really do that anymore. Not since we've become pirates for Captain, his code is steal from the rich and give it to the poor, but really, we mostly go after unclaimed treasures and give most of it away." 

Kuroo. Kenma had mentioned the name that morning, pointed out the man with hair as dark as his tail, but his features wild in comparison to Keiji. Captain was surely Iwaizumi, as Keiji overheard from his brunet elder when he arrived to their sleeping cove late into the night. 

"You have a great voice, too! Do you sing? I'd be happy to play along, maybe Daichi would stop complaining about my horrible tunes if you did. Mer songs must be so cool!" He was back to that loud, booming voice again.

Keiji was still wary of the pirates, including the one before him, but like all great hunters, he knew that to capture one's prey, he must learn them. From the open ocean and secretive coves that littered the island, Keiji could only learn so much, but here was a pirate. A rambling pirate, but an honest and unguarded one at that. A pirate that was too excited to be in Keiji's presence, or rather, distracted by it, by three words spoken into open air. 

He inspected Bokuto's wide gaze, his unarmed smile unlike his counterpart Kuroo's, and the way his ears perked up slightly when Keiji offered a word or two. 

"You speak of many names, and I do not know to whom you're referring." It was a simple statement, a small test to see how many ripples a petal would cause when cast on the pool's surface. How the pirate answered would tell Keiji whether his time was worth wasting on the buffoon. 

"Oh!" Bokuto smacked his forehead with one of the plates he was tucking beneath the water. "Kuroo's my best friend. We're some of the oldest members aboard the Seijoh! He's the carpenter and boatswain, and I'm the musician!" He then pressed the plate against his puffed, naked chest. Keiji resisted the annoyance that threatened to break his impassive exterior. 

"Captain is Iwaizumi, your... brother's... friend? And then there's Daichi, Tanaka, Noya, and Asahi. Kageyama and Hinata are the newest members of our crew, you'll see them fighting a lot, but I promise we're all really nice. Practically family! I'll introduce you, if you like." 

It wasn't all that Keiji had wanted to hear, only reaffirming the count of men he had already seen, but it was good start. Perhaps he could tolerate Bokuto's presence a little longer. 

"I'd rather not." He added another small test, "You're enough for the time being."

Bokuto let out a small hoot and rose out of the water an inch, probably standing on the odd appendages humans had called 'toes', unaware he had proved yet another one of Keiji's theories. Not only was Bokuto free to give information, he was easy to flatter. It reminded Keiji of an owl he would often see perched up in a tall tree.

"That's fine with me, too! Whatever you're good with, I don't mind. If you ever do feel like coming by, I promise we're alright, if not a little crazy. Daichi might seem a little mean, but that's only because he used to be a big wig in the navy."

A hiss nearly escaped Keiji at the mention, he could already feel his shoulders tensing once more and his sharp teeth pressing against his lips to bare at the world. Keiji knew then all he needed to, at a mere three words. His fists tightened underwater, out of sight from Bokuto's large eyes. Desperate to restrain himself, for if Bokuto easily shared information with him, a stranger and stranger creature, Bokuto would surely tell his "family" of Keiji's distaste. 

The fire in his eyes, however, he could not keep. They burned as they glared into the bronze eyes of the pirate thief in front of him, but now Keiji knew Seijoh was not all pirates, and he would be sure to hurt them before they could hurt his family. 

A stiff nod was all Keiji could manage, then he dove down the cavern and out into the open sea. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pirate Glossary: 
> 
> **Gangway** \- An opening in the bulwark of a ship for passengers to board and get off the ship. 
> 
> **Jacob's Ladder** \- A rope ladder hanging from the deck for passengers to board or hop off the ship. 
> 
> I just wanna say that Bokuto is my son, and that a shoeless, low pony tailed pirate (whose main job is to play music) Bokuto gives me life. 
> 
> Thank you for the support and the comments **(!!! so many of these and all so important)** and the kudos and the subs! It all means so much.


	6. till sunbeams find you; stars fading but i linger on dear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: This chapter brought this fic to 1000 views and over 100 kudos overnight! Thanks so much everyone!!

Kenma rested as he listened for it. 

The bite of rock against the bottom of his scalp ignored, no longer felt after years of laying on his favorite perch, hair fanned all around him to dry. Reaching up, he touched a few of the long, coarse strands. His nose crinkled. Not quite dry yet, not soft enough yet, too long, too dark. He would need to cut it again soon with the new _shears_ Tooru had brought home two summers ago; the prior one had rusted beyond use despite their care. (Kenma may not have dried it properly in the sand a few times, but Tooru was just as guilty.)  

Kenma knew hair, how to twist and braid it, which underwater plants and roots secreted substances to make your hair soft. The effect was better than when he washed his hair with the water of inland ponds compared to the harsh saltwater. He loved to play with his brothers' hair as a young pup, always rubbing Koushi's long silver hair into knots. Tooru's hair was the slowest to grow, never reaching past his shoulders before snipping it off. Long before the shears, which granted cleaner, straighter cuts, they had used the small slabs of rocks they honed to a sharp edge, resulting in Tooru's and Keiji's jagged locks.

Kenma, however, could never decide what he preferred, short or long, growing it out only to take the blades and snip them close to his ears. Now, though, it was getting too long, he knew that for sure. He had already attempted a different braid on himself, the new-found intricate pattern proved to have worked. Before styling any of his brothers' heads, Kenma experimented new knots and twists on his own. Whenever he kept his long hair before becoming bored with it again, that is. 

Hair was not all he knew, more of a past time for his idle mind than anything, a thing to occupy his hands while he listened. He heard the scuttle of small crabs in the tide pool next to him, the birds crying overhead, the rustle of the tree branches against each other. He did not always hear It, and rarely two days in a row, but he strained his senses for it anyway. 

Keiji had been upset with him the night before, for allowing Tooru to get so close to the humans despite their mutual agreement to discuss before advancing. Despite having similar tails, gills, and builds, Keiji did not always understand the whispers of the Sea Mother. Kenma knew not how to explain it to him either. All he could explain was the intense wind that had woken him the prior morning, long before he heard the crash of wood hitting the _Alopias_. The wind had been warm and powerful, almost enough to turn him over in the water, but it had felt _safe_. At first, he interpreted the occurrence as Tooru's safe return home. Yet, the moment his brother's human struck a palm against the water instead, Kenma knew the Sea Mother's intentions. Well, partially. 

He knew what Keiji did not; the pirates were safe. Iwaizumi, at least, was safe. 

Sitting up after one last graze with his fingers, Kenma threaded his fingers through his hair, untangling the few knots. He parted his hair in two, one on each side of his face while his eyes were still closed. His fingers moved deftly, twisting his hair with skill and memory. He thought of the tight ringlets he had seen on some humans in the ports they had visited, the bouncing spirals of hair, and Kenma longed to know how they did it. Curls was one trick Kenma could not replicate simply by threading hair with slim, slightly webbed, fingers. 

The end of his tailed tittered to and fro in the water. He could feel his scales drying after basking in the sun for far too long. To dry yourself upon a rock was normal for mers, spending an hour or two did no harm since their tails absorbed moisture and secreted it when needed to keep their scales from drying out and flaking off. Kenma, though, too often pushed the proper amount a mer should spend laying above water. Just as he did yesterday morning when he found himself above the surface from falling asleep after his midnight swim. 

As soon as the two low slung braids were finished, he pushed himself off the rock and into the deep tide pool. This side of the island curved sharply, forming pockets for tide pools, edged with rocks big and small all along the shore. Deep trenches and steep slopes lurked beneath the crystalline blue surface, too close to shore, unlike the many coral reefs and long shelfs on the opposite side of the island. In some spots along the island, the two diverse oceanic environments clashed, allowing for rows of high rocks, such as the _Alopias_ , to become teeth next to serene, white sand, like the very spot the pirates' ship had crashed and landed.

Tooru had been strategic in leading them there, a point both near and away from the mers nesting grounds. 

Continuing to strain his ears, his eyes now open but distant, Kenma weaved the _Campanis_ vines into his braids. The bell shaped flora a straw color,  soft and rubbery to the touch. He thought of the humans with hair the same shade of the plant, how it looked resting in his dark hair, against his skin. He imagined the strands of his hair becoming leeches, sucking out the color from the flower and painting his own strands yellow. 

 _Thunk_. 

Kenma looked up only for bright light to pierce his tender eyes. He squinted to properly see the object that had landed in the sand closest to him, in a break between two boulders. 

The necklace. 

He went to seize it before pulling back within the same moment, just before his fingers brushed the warm piece. Where the necklace was, the owner would surely be, Kenma raised his eyes to the shadow now hanging over him.

A snarl twitched at his lips when he saw the grin directed upon him. He slowly retreated so he was no longer hanging half out of the water, letting the water wash away the grains of sand clinging to him. 

Kuroo's grin faded, expression thoughtful before plopping down onto the sand in front of Kenma. The pirate picked up the locket beside him and offered it to Kenma, his other hand empty and in the air. A show of peace. 

"You can look at it, if you still want." 

 He studied Kuroo's face, searching for any small twitch. He listened to the ocean for a warning sign, a shudder, anything that told him not to take the golden prize, but he heard only the birds and crashing waves. 

Dripping droplets of water, Kenma extended his arm, elongating his fingers to gingerly pick up the heavy piece of metal without unintentionally touching the pirate once again. He tried to be quick about it, speed one of his honed skills, but somehow, Kuroo was just as fast. Calloused fingers and a wide palm gripped his hand. But the hold was soft and loose, allowing Kenma to jerk away if he needed.

Instead, Kenma froze, and after a beat, Kuroo thumbed at the webs between his fingers. 

"Odd," Kenma lifted his gaze to find gold slits already watching him. Kuroo held up his empty hand, fingers spread. "For creatures so different, we have some small things in common." 

Kuroo let go of his hold, releasing both Kenma and the locket. 

The pirate ran a hand through his hair, then offered a shy smile. "Sorry, you probably don't like to be touched." 

Kenma shook his head. No, he quietly craved contact, always cuddling up to one of his brothers in their sleeping alcoves, entwining their tails together, or resting his head on their shoulders. It was why Kenma loved to play with his brothers' hair, but to be touched by a stranger, a pirate, a human... It was a surprise. 

"It's just -- I noticed your webs yesterday, when you went to grab my locket. Very sneaky, by the way. It made me think. Are our species someway related? Did we evolve from you to live on land, or you from us to live in water? Or are we born from the same species and are cousins in that respect?"

Kenma quickly tuned Kuroo's ramblings out, filled with words and concepts he didn't understand completely, to inspect the laden locket in his palms. He turned it over, inspecting all edges. It was like two full moons pressed together through some force, strange markings on each side, strange nubs on each edge. 

"Here, you open it like this." Kuroo leaned over and nearly snapped one of the nubs off. 

The locket tumbled open, the moons splitting apart. Inside were faces, carefully drawn on faded paper. 

"Those are my parents. My mother's name is engraved on this side, my father's on the other." Kuroo pointed to the strange markings on the opposite side of each portrait. 

"Parents." Kenma muttered, sinking lower into the water. The word 'Mother' causing his heart to skip. He touched each face softly and was met with thin glass. 

"He speaks!" Kuroo told the sky before giving Kenma a small smile, like the day before. "My parents passed a long time ago, but I miss them. This helps keep them close." He leaned forward to tap his Father's face. "What about your parents?" 

The pirate was no longer smiling, but was still watching him carefully. Kenma shrugged. "Koushi... Tooru..."

"They're your parents?" Kuroo smirked, brows raised. 

Kenma glared, for a brief moment, then he was shaking his head. Still toying with the locket in his hands, opening and closing it the way Kuroo had, Kenma spoke again sotto voce, "We had parents, but they died the autumn I was born. I don't remember them, neither does Keiji." 

A quick glance resulted in seeing the pirate nod. "You must be the youngest, then." He reached back for the locket, only for Kenma to clutch it close to his chest. Huffing, Kuroo pulled back. 

Leaning away and out of Kuroo's reach, Kenma studied the parents' faces, briefly wondering what his own parents had looked like, but the thought was brief and fleeting. Instead, he thought of creatures in the farthest speck of the ocean Tooru had come across during an expedition that took months. He thought of his own title as he looked upon Kuroo's mother. She had those perfect rings of hair.

"Mother... What is a mother for humans?" 

Kuroo tilted his head, confused. "A... woman? You know, long hair, pretty dresses, those type of people. Tooru mentioned that you all used to observe port towns."

"... A woman?" He mirrored Kuroo. 

"Um, someone who gives birth? Or... in fishes' case, lays eggs?" 

Kenma crinkled his nose, the words not comprehensible in his mind. He shook his head as his attention was now drawn to the chain of the necklace. With both hands, he gripped each end and yanked. Carefully though, only adding a bit of strength to each tug. 

"What's a mother for mers?" 

He paused his fingers' new attempt to knot the chain. Blinking, he tasted the word in his mouth, feeling like he did when he tried to explain to Keiji things only comprehensible to Kenma. But, Mother, Father, these were titles all mers knew, more often predetermined than not, and now he had to explain to humans. 

"I am a Mother," he said finally.

"But you're a boy, unless you're... a girl?" 

Furrowing his brows, Kenma could not begin to answer a question he did not understand, but he tried to find the words. "Mothers are those who can hear the Sea Mother. We are called Mother after her. Laying eggs has nothing... it's not involved." 

'He, She, They,' these were terms inherently understood and chosen by mers, irregardless of title, but 'boy, girl, man, woman', the meaning of these words were lost on mers. Once, when they waded under a pier, watching town lights, Kenma had heard this word before, 'woman'. A human had been standing above them, sobbing while waiting for their beloved to arrive. When he did, the woman, she called herself, confessed her love to him but he had angrily stormed away, had called her by a name she did not choose. Koushi had shoved them all down to the reefs before what would occur after, refusing to speak of it ever again.  

"I am 'he'." Kenma shook his head and loosened the knot he had made. He could feel his braids coming undone, and he inwardly cursed. He never failed to make a braid tight enough, Koushi sometimes complained he made them _too_ tight. 

Now, here was Kuroo fumbling for words. Kenma wondered why communication had to be so difficult. 

"Not that being a woman means you make kids, I mean, it's all about what you want, what you feel, what... makes you comfortable? Am I getting this right? Er..." Kuroo patted his wild hair.  

" _Yes_." He leaned forward, eyes widened in surprise. His grip on the necklace slightly loosened. "You understand." 

For once, Kenma felt the strange sensation of being understood, a rare feeling after struggling to find words for so long. He briefly wondered if Kuroo could understand the calls of the Sea Mother, if he was a Mother too, if could explain it to his brothers. Did humans have the same titles for those who could hear the Earth Mother, if she even spoke to them at all?

A thrum pulsed through the island, accompanied by shouts from the pirates down the shore. Kuroo looked up at the sound, understanding in a way Kenma suspected was his affinity. 

"Dinner." Kuroo smiled again. "May I have my locket back?" 

He looked down at the jewelry, liking the weight of it in his hands. Kenma's mind raced through the mechanics of what he would do next. He took hold of the chain and popped his head through it. Once the weight settled around his neck, he decided he liked where it was. Kenma covered the locket with his hand at his sternum, shook his head at Kuroo. 

"No." 

A long moment fell on them as another thrum was heard, the beat of a drum, Kenma realized. Kuroo simply looked at him, still wearing the smile he directed often at Kenma before the smile turned into a leer. The pirate stood up, brushed his knees, and then wagged a finger at Kenma. 

"Alright. You can borrow it for now, just know I'll ask to talk to you again tomorrow. To check on its safe-keeping, of course."

Tomorrow, the thought settled in Kenma's head, there would be a tomorrow. A tomorrow to be understood, to learn more of human trinkets and odd human titles. He wondered if this was how Tooru felt when he met that captain of his... Nonetheless, Kenma let that thought go and nodded. Talking to Kuroo would take away his sunning time, but he could always treat his hair during their conversation. There was so much to learn about the human world. After all, port cities and tidbits of conversation could only teach one so much.

Kuroo waved as he walked away, back to his camp, and Kenma returned to his rock and fix his braid. This time, he listened for Koushi's song. It would be dinner for them soon, as well. 

As is the ocean when the sun dips out of sight, it stirs. One wave larger than the last. He braced himself for the incoming walls of saltwater, already mourning his half-remedied hair. A wave so large finally crested high enough, its shadow over him, and he closed his eyes just before it hits, letting his body go slack. 

Kenma felt it then, the foam of a wave's crest, breaking, spreading along the shore, over the rocks and into his little tide pool. The bubbles catching on his skin where Kuroo had touched him, little pockets of air attached to him. He was filled with a light feeling, higher than the sky, warmer than the sun. _Happy_ , for a brief moment before leaving with the wave as it returned to the ocean, to some other creature to touch with its joy. 

The wave took Kenma with it into the open water. 

The meaning was the most obscure Kenma had been given from his goddess. In some sense, he understood, but unlike all the times the Sea Mother's messages had comforted him, Kenma was terribly afraid.  


 

**~~~~~~~~~~~~**

 

 _"Oh! Look at that one! It's just like a_ desertis. _" The boy pointed at the latest firework, expanding across the sky like a warm blanket the color of his mother's coffee tinted with milk._

_He didn't know what a desertis was, but Hajime nodded along anyway, too caught up in his own wonder at the sight. "Tobio would have loved this," he murmured._

_Frowning, Hajime was briefly nagged by a sense of guilt. His brother was home, laying in bed, recovering from a high fever. It wouldn't do him any good if Hajime had brought him out for the chilly night._

_"Tobio? Who's that?" The mer pouted his lips, looking away from the display above and right at him._

_"My brother." He pointed at a dragon-shaped burst of fire, causing both sets of eyes to follow its path. "He's ill, but he would have enjoyed this."_

_Tobio had urged Hajime to go watch the fireworks, made him promise to tell him all about it when he returned, and he would, even if it was a bit odd without his brother next to him. Hajime had left the tavern thinking he would be alone, but with the mer beside him, he most certainly wasn't. The mer chatted so much Hajime had to smack his arm once or twice to get him to shut up. He didn't truly mind, however. Hajime love both solitude and company._

_The mer hummed, eyebrows slightly pinched, lips twisted in thought. "You have a brother?"_

_"Yeah, dummy. That's what I said." He flicks a bit of water at the mer, making him untwist his lips. "Well, he's not actually my brother, by blood anyway. Some hag dumped him at our tavern, but now_ we're _his family." Hajime nods these facts. He's sure that Tobio was a gift given to them by the God, just as his mother said. They had needed the babe, a brother for Hajime, just as much as Tobio needed a family._

_"How old is he?"_

_"Three." Hajime shrugged happily, not caring about other boys who teased him about having a toddler follow him around. Hajime loved his brother. "But he's super smart. He's learning to read faster than I did! Ma says maybe he'll be a councilman one day."_

_He doesn't add his father's quiet joke about Tobio's potential to be king, too. "Once he becomes councilman, it's a few short stops and quick murders before the throne," his Pa would chuckle._

_"What's a 'councilman'?"_

_"The leader of a place and people in it." Hajime picks up a small stone and uses its pointed edge to carve into the larger rock beneath him. Pointing, he tells the curious mer. "This is our town, and the councilman is responsible for watching over us, protecting us. But our councilman's an 'asshole'," Hajime tests the word that is his mother's favorite swear. "He has too high taxes. What about you? Do you have one? Who's king of the mers?"_

_"Me!" The boy directs his own thumb towards himself, chest puffed, and grinning. "I'm the grand king!"_

_Next, Hajime is snorting, holding his abdomen as laughs burst forth and he's tumbling backwards on the flat rock._  


**_~~~~~_ **

 

The last time Iwaizumi had sat on a rock, gazing at the stars, was when he was young in both body and soul with a young mer beside him. Now, the young mer was replaced with a solid, muscled body, leaner but longer than himself.   

Tooru was silent when Iwaizumi had joined him after dinner with his crew, only offering a small greeting and smile, but it didn't bother him as he took a seat next to the mer. It was strange, Iwaizumi expected Tooru to be as talkative as when he was younger, but it seemed time had worn him down, forcing the boy to mature, as it was with most people. 

The silence lasted for a few minutes more, until Iwaizumi heard familiar boots crunching the sand as the newcomer approached as expected. He stood when Kageyama came to a stop a few feet away. Tooru was already watching the two. 

His brother's expression was always open, easy to read, around Iwaizumi. Now, his brother was torn, trying to contain his awe at Tooru behind the scowling mask he had learned from none other but himself. Iwaizumi knew now what he did not before, one of which was that their stern, scowling resting faces was a gift from their father. The "hag" who had abandoned Kageyama was but a prostitute his father had been visiting. The news of his birth mother's death had been the end of Kageyama's innocence, his sheltered love for his "adopted" family, Iwaizumi knew. But he couldn't help but admire his own mother, who refused to place the sins of their father onto the younger boy, who stabbed a finger in his father's face. "If you ever enter the bed of a whore again, you best not come back. It is not _I_ who needs _you_." 

The ordeal had brought them closer, even if Iwaizumi had been thousands of miles away at sea. Now, his brother had joined him on his adventures, assisting with valuable help as navigator. Now, he could introduce Kageyama to the dream that was finally his own reality. 

"Tooru, meet my brother, Tobio." He gestured for the ravenette to sit beside them. 

"Hello," his brother bowed before hesitantly, awkwardly in a way that was purely Tobio, who silently did as he was told. He nodded at Iwaizumi. "Nii-san."

Tooru only nodded, light brown eyes narrowed. "Hmph," he sounded and turned his head away. Then his face was relaxing, easing into a taunting smirk. The mer shifted closer to Iwaizumi slightly. "Hello, Tobio-chan." 

Next to him, Tobio pouted slightly at the low honorific, the tone used by Tooru on the edge of mocking. Iwaizumi flicked the shell of the mer's ear. 

"Kuroo-senpai says the repairs and cleaning of the hull can be done in a fortnight. We have enough rations to eat at least half before leaving, but we could eat more if we wanted. Bokuto-san and I found a grove of edible fruit earlier." Tobio turned to Tooru. "Thank you, Tooru-senpai. Your brother had led Bokuto-san to it." 

 Tooru leaned forward in surprise, tilting his head. "Which brother of mine?" 

"Keiji-senpai."

"Pft, the nerve," Tooru muttered before sliding back into the water. With a quick flick of his wrist, he splashed Tobio a little more than necessary, but Iwaizumi only grinned. He suspected splashing people was a language of affection used solely by Tooru. 

Tobio immediately stood, sending a bewildered look at his older brother and back to Tooru when he saw Iwaizumi chuckling. 

"I'll tell you later," Iwaizumi waved him to return to the others. "Go say goodnight to Hinata, I'll be there soon." 

With one last side glance, Tobio bowed once more in Tooru's direction. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Tooru-senpai." 

The two held a long gaze, his brother's words delivered a bit gruffly, with feeling more than a polite recognition. Frowning, Iwaizumi sent Tobio off after a moment too long before twisting. He sent what could be called a miniature wave of water at Tooru.

Spluttering, Tooru cried, "What's that for?" 

Iwaizumi only glared at him while leaning back on his hands. Silence reached them once more as Tooru huffed, swimming closer to him. Under the moonlight, he could see the mer's tail swaying, adding to the pool's movements. 

"Be sure to ask Koushi first before plucking from his garden." Tooru broke the silence first. "Though I'm sure he won't mind if your quartermaster asks him." Winking, Tooru moved to float in front of him, just before his knees. 

"I don't think Sawamura knows how to charm anyone." 

"Mm." Tooru shrugged, smiling genuinely now, inching closer until his firm chest hit the knobs of Iwaizumi's knees, wetting them. "I think there's hope for him, yet, if his captain isn't much better." 

Iwaizumi had to remind himself to breathe as Tooru wrapped webbed hands around them. 

"I can be charming."

Tooru shifted, crossing his forearms and rested them atop Iwaizumi's knees, then his chin atop of that. "Oh really? Tell me about the fair maidens that you have wooed across the seven seas, then." 

Iwaizumi could feel his cheeks warm. There had been none, actually, but he didn't want to tell Tooru that... or that Kuroo was usually taking up all the charming. Tanaka tried, but it rarely worked on women. "I don't kiss and tell, Tooru. I've been more concerned with other important things."

"And what has Iwa-chan been doing all these years, hmm?" Tooru asked. 

His gaze was still trained on Iwaizumi's face. 

Clearing his throat, he shrugged. "Joined a pirate ship, inherited a pirate ship, looked for treasure across the world. There's a lot you can do in twenty years, idiot. I'm not going to tell you all about it." 

"Twenty years of looking, looking, looking. You never got tired? What was it you were looking for?" Reaching up, Tooru flicked his nose. "In return for earlier," he said. 

 _You_. 

"You sure you want to pick that game?" Iwaizumi warned, smothering the rising feeling in his chest. "As a pirate, I know a 101 ways to prank a man."

"Ah, but I am not a man." Tooru teased, purposely peeking out the end of his fins above the water behind him.

Iwaizumi shook his head, rolling his eyes at the mer's antics.  

Silence almost washed over them once more, as Tooru rested his cheek against his hands, still on Iwaizumi's knees. The mer closed his eyes before his lilting voice spoke softly. "Only a fortnight?" 

Tooru was no longer smiling, his chocolate brown eyes hidden by translucent, milky skin, but Iwaizumi felt his gaze. If only he could touch him...

With Tooru so close, Iwaizumi wasn't sure what was stopping his hand. He knew what the mer was asking, wanted to ask directly, but given that the last time he had... well, that ended with his ship wrecked and his crew stranded on an island populated by mers... Tooru was stopping himself, much in the same way he was.

Twitching his fingers, Iwaizumi lifted a hand. Slowly, he raised it to gently card through the mer's soft, damp chestnut hair. Tooru's lids only tightened, pink lips parting slightly. 

"Perhaps a fortnight and a half," he murmured, entranced by the fact that his fingers were in Tooru's hair. "To explore the island, I'm sure Bokuto will take at least a week to map it all." 

Tooru smiled, though his eyes remained closed. Then, he begun to hum a melody, the sound buzzing in Iwaizumi's ears. He wondered what Tooru's singing voice would sound like if his humming was this pleasant to hear. 

In the same moment Iwaizumi dropped his hand away, Tooru surged forward, and suddenly, there were wet, cold lips on his. 

And then they weren't, and instead of melodic humming, he heard a nervous breath of slight laughter. "As I suspected, even human lips are warm." Tooru looked away in embarrassment, backing away from Iwaizumi entirely. 

Though shocked, he reached for Tooru before the mer could leave the pool entirely. He pulled him back, holding onto the mer's clammy hand. With his other free hand, he caught Tooru's chin, pulling him closer. 

His gaze lingered on the mer's long eyelashes, fluttering, the bridge of his nose, until he eyed the pink lips that had just kissed him. Glancing back up, Tooru gave him the brightest smile he had seen yet, true and genuine, a look he was sure not many got to see. The mer nodded. 

They kissed once, twice, thrice more; all quick pecks, the two of them still restraining from slotting their lips together, unsure where it would lead. When they separated, Tooru removed his hands from Iwaizumi's knees, using his tail to propel backwards. Iwaizumi did not stand up to leave until Tooru gave one last look at him and swam towards the open water. A new image to replace the old, as the mer paused to whisper goodnight like the last time they parted after a night of sitting on rocks and staring at the night sky. 

The illuminated tail reflected each diamond star in its scales.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *crawls* *waves tiredly* Oh, hey guys. I'm sorry the end of this chapter was a bit crappy. Writing's been difficult ... ha... ha... ha... ahahahahaha 
> 
> Just to be clear: Mers don't have any social constructs for gender (masculine vs feminine dress, jobs, actions, looks, etc). Mother and Father are titles unrelated to gender. Hopefully I treated the gender issue okay? If I didn't, please let me know! I want to correct any ignorance this fic (or myself) may have on the topic. 
> 
> **Important news:**
> 
> -I'll be gone for the entirety of June. Then I start school July 5, so basically right away.  
> -My new goal for posting is once a month (this is my contribution for June). 
> 
> Thanks to everyone for sticking around! Any and all comments are super appreciated!! Like, they really are. I always love hearing what you guys think. 
> 
> Speaking of, @SquaksofWisdom (Yes, I read bookmark notes) --  
> I am pleased that the bokuaka is going as intended.~ And you say 'yo', we are of kin, yo.


	7. that shipwreck meant my ship was coming in

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Koushi and Tooru need to get their heads out of the gutters, Iwaizumi wonders how the hell he ended up with this bunch, and Daichi spends some quality time with a particular mer he can't help but freak out around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick thing in case people might be confused? 
> 
> "Elder"/"First"; "Second" are titles mers use when referring or addressing each other. 
> 
> Also, new tag: Implied Past Friends-with-benefits Kurodai 
> 
> Thanks to my Dawn for giving encouragement and being so awesome for posting this chapter for me while I am away!

"We kissed, Kenma-kun. We  _kissed."_  Tooru grinned, showing all four pairs of his canines. Then he pushed off the ledge that was his brother's resting place and spun tightly down to the bottom of the underwater cave. His scales reflected against the stone walls, a blur of sparkling green-blue and white, like ribbons wrapping around him.

"And humans are so soft!" He called to the top, for the moon and the stars to hear, as the bottom tips of his fins touched the soft sand. 

Hugging himself, Tooru couldn't stop spinning. 

"But so many sharp bones!" The buzz of Iwaizumi's lips against his lingered, the jabbing of the pirate's knees still indented on his forearms. The bubbles of water surrounding him couldn't express the giddiness that was popping in his chest.

Somewhere up above was Keiji scoffing at him, but Tooru couldn't bring himself to mind.  

"Tooru-chan." Koushi swam in through the entrance, his tone bemused at Tooru's antics but tough hands brought Tooru's twirls to a stop. 

"Kou-chan, they begin exploring tomorrow! Isn't that great? Iwa-chan will stay longer now." Instead of twisting away, Tooru brought in the eldest mer into a tight hug. Near his ear, Tooru whispered, "Is it all gone?"

"Don't forget, they're only here for three quarters of the moon cycle." Koushi nodded, but still sent Tooru a sharp look. He knew the eldest wasn't incompetent, but Tooru couldn't help but fret. If he were to lose Iwaizumi after being so close... 

Tooru groaned, pressing his hands against his cheeks. "I know, I know." 

He finally settled on his own perch with Koushi beside him, his brother's hand wrapping around his shoulder in comfort. He didn't want to think about it, how soon Iwaizumi would be leaving. He only had three weeks to learn all that was Captain Iwaizumi, the boy and the man melded into one. He had known the boy, and tonight, he learned the man. But Tooru needed to know if Iwaizumi Hajime loved him in return. Tooru felt selfish, asking Iwaizumi to stay just a bit longer, but he thought back to the kiss and the extended stay his pirate promised.  Surely, those were good signs... 

"Right, Kou-chan?" 

"Mm," Koushi hummed thoughtfully. "I think that he never forgot you for twenty summers is a strong indicator. Take it slowly, Tooru. Neither of you are children any longer. Things are not the same, and there's much more at stake than there was then. I don't want to rush you, but use your time wisely." 

"Kei-chan says humans have the same parts that look the same as ours between the legs." Above them, Kenma leaned over his ledge, his gold eyes flicking from what was a more than likely a sour Keiji and back down to them. While their cave was small enough to hear every word the two older mers were sharing, it was clear Kenma had been listening attentively. 

"Oh? I wonder if it works the same, too." 

Tooru snickered as Koushi nudged him into agreement. Mirth shone in his elder's hazel eyes, nuancing what Kenma had just begun to fully comprehend. "My, my. Kou-chan, is their a specific human's parts you're interested in... _tasting_?"  He said the last word in a hushed click, close to the ash-haired mer's ear. 

Koushi turned his head away, no doubt hiding his blush. It wouldn't be the first time the two older mers had made lewd comments. He clicked in his throat in teasing surprise. "So there _is_ a pirate you fancy! It's Daichi-san, isn't it, the quartermaster?" 

Tittering, Koushi tried to shrug his embarrassment away. Instead, Koushi reflected Tooru's own smile back at him. "Daichi is ... nice, yes. And his legs are, well, you could imagine it does the same to _my_ parts the way your captain's arms does to _yours_. But I'm not sure if you should call it fancy, Tooru-chan." 

 He snorted water through his nose at Koushi's evasion. "Attraction has many forms, and love grows in strange ways, Kou-chan~." 

A burst of sand lifted from the sea floor as a black tail mutely thumped against it but the impact still had enough power to bring the two elder mer's attention. Keiji straightened his shoulders and raised his green eyes at them, a sign he wanted to be heard. He visibly tightened his grip around the spear in his hand, its bottom rooted firmly in the sand.

"He's _Navy_." The hiss echoed throughout the cave, and Tooru felt the hand that was pinching his cheek drop. 

Beside him, Koushi lost the teasing grin they had been holding together. Koushi's brows furrowed slightly, lips frowning. Tooru tensed, filled with sudden irritation. No, _exasperation_.  He did not expect Keiji to immediately accept the humans, but he did hold Keiji to his oath to not meddle. 

"Kei-chan," he tsked softly. "Kenma-kun already told you they were safe. And Sawamura is not Navy, he's a pirate. Why else would he be the quartermaster of Iwa-chan's ship?" 

"Kenma said Iwaizumi was safe, _not_ the others." 

"And that owl pirate of yours is safe?" He raised a brow at Keiji who held his stance firm. " _You_ were the one to show him Koushi's garden. Without his approval, I might add."

"Tooru, I already said it was fine." Koushi cut in, swimming off the ledge and angled himself between them but still to the side. His deep orange scales slowly began to shift into a bright tangerine. 

Keiji thought Tooru was simply fascinated. Tooru thinks Keiji is a hypocrite. He huffed, crossing his arms across his chest.

"He is not Navy." Keiji's already pale skin whitened even more around his spear. His tail twitched in place. "I have reasons for what I do." 

"And so do I," Tooru growled. " _I_ love him, Keiji, and I _need_ to know if he loves me in return. _I_ have a _chance_. Don't ruin Koushi's chance, too." 

"Tooru," Koushi growled in warning. 

Taking a deep breath, he reached for the fibers of patience he kept on the edge of his fins. He relaxed his features but kept his gaze stern. "Or yours, or Kenma's. Don't you see? Love is everything." 

"And our love for you isn't enough?" Keiji bit back, then he was lifting his body up with his tail that had darkened the murky light in the cave even more, swimming out of the cave with spear in hand. 

Tooru buried his face in hands. 

"How can I make him understand?" He asked Koushi, Kenma, the cave... himself. He never liked to argue with his brothers, especially the younger ones, but when they make a statement like _that_... He groaned. 

"Second," Koushi hummed, the sound as soft as silence. "I support you. If Iwaizumi is who you wish to bond in unity, I support you, but be sure." Pausing, Koushi had yet to turn around and face him. "Tooru, please understand what it means to love a human. What will you do?" 

He was on the beginning of clucking a response until Koushi pressed on, facing him now. His hazel eyes distressed and torn. "Do you expect to stay here, forever on the island? He's a _pirate,_ pirates have no home other than their ship. He told you that." 

"Well, no, I thought I could follow wherever his ship sails. I could scout, I could hunt, I could--"

"You would be in danger of being found constantly, Tooru, but most of all, Keiji is right. You would be leaving us." 

"Of course not! I could visit, swim back and forth. You know I'm the fastest swimmer, Kou-chan." 

"I support you, I told you this, but... What I'm also telling you is... We won't be together, not in the same way, not if we are to ..." 

"Survive." Tooru clucked flatly. "I thank you for your permission, Koushi, but I don't agree that only I should be the one to live freely, to live in love. You can, too. All of us can." 

Koushi shook his head. "There are some things bigger than ourselves, Tooru-kun. You know this, it's why you made the deal."

"It's why I crashed his ship," Tooru's voice was raising, now thankful Kenma was likely sleeping and difficult to wake. "And what about Daichi? I know it's only three quarters of the moon, but it is plenty of time to know if you're in love or not." 

"And what then? What about Kenma and Keiji? Are you going to let them take our place? We promised only ourselves so they wouldn't have to. If I, at least, don't show. They will have to carry _our_ burden."

"They don't have to! We all have a choice in this, Koushi. It was an agreement, not an oath. We don't have to go, and neither do Kenma and Keiji. If you would just open yourself up to Daichi, you would understand." 

"Twenty years and twenty nights cannot compare." Koushi began to swim towards his resting place near Kenma, hearing no more on the conversation. It was clear Tooru could not convince him. 

Nibbling on his bottom lip, Tooru thought of all the things he had done, just to see Iwazumi. He wondered if he was making another selfish decision in a long line of selfish decisions. Selfish _,_ both his brothers alluded to this. 

_He was selfish._

Tooru settled into his own place, curling up his tail to lay his head upon its end. He called out to the silent cavern before he would rest his eyes for a night of fitful sleep. Selfish as he may be, Tooru held to the hope that was named Love and wished it to ink itself in the water and seep into his brothers' pores. 

The sea had been without love for a long time. 

"I hope that quartermaster of yours changes your mind, Kou-chan."   

 

**~~~~~~~~~~**

 

It took several minutes for the crew of Seijoh, wild and boisterous as they were even in the early morn, to settle around the dying embers of the fire crackling on the white sand. Though some grumbled, kicking off the sand that had blown into their boots during the night from camping on the beach. Those more fortunate (or more capable of using their common sense) had slept in the boat. 

"All right, everyone. We've come up with a new schedule for repairs." Iwaizumi clapped his hands together, his voice loud enough to bother a few nearby birds. "Consider this your hard earned day off." He had to shush them once more before they got out of hand with their whoops of "thank God". 

It had been two whole days or scrubbing off barnacles from the bottom of the hull before any actual repairs could be done, and it was, perhaps, the least favorite thing the crew liked to do on the long list of necessary chores to maintain a tip-top shape. 

And tip-top shape, to Kuroo especially, meant sparkling like a fresh new coat of varnish. If there was one thing Iwaizumi dared to argue against Kuroo for, it was forcing the crew to apply a new coat every year. Luckily for them all, the last can of the 'wood magic' was dryer than Asahi's voice when he first wakes. 

"We're pirates," Iwaizumi said to him then, "not straight-cut jollies. Even I admit there's a limit to the pristine. We'll be too memorable. There's a balance."

"You're saying you  _don't_ want your ship to shine like a diamond that screams 'fuck me' from across the ocean? Then what's the point of being a pirate?" Kuroo had snorted in return, but Iwaizumi had managed to get the New Coat requirement to every three summers. "Furthermore, do you not remember Sawamura in his commander uniform? Good God." 

Kuroo was hugging the dry can of varnish still, stirring up the others with his false tears. There were reasons why Kuroo was demoted, for lack of a better word, and this was one of them. Iwaizumi smacked the back of his bedhead to gain their attention once more.

"Expect to be back first thing tomorrow morning. Two days work, one day to explore the island. We'll split up after the expedition we all take today." 

Groans filled the air, even Asahi, whose gentle but calloused hands hated the work as much as the rest. They were the laziest pirates Iwaizumi had ever seen. Every single of them, he thought in annoyance. Although, not a sad drum beat filled the air along with the rest. 

"Bokuto." 

"Huh?" The white haired pirate glanced up from where he had been trying to resurrect the fire with his stare. "Yeah, Cap?" 

"How long would it take you to finish a map of the island?" 

Bokuto shifted in the sand, his eyes returning back to the charred wood they had used. Iwaizumi narrowed his eyes, noticing the absence of Bokuto's wide, always present grin. Glancing at Kuroo, he saw only distance. He would have to speak to Bokuto. Was the owl man still upset with him over the 'sea cow' dilemma? By now, most of the crew had forgiven Iwaizumi, but even one of them still upset worried him. 

"Um... about a week. It'd be... really rough, though." 

"That's more than fine. Thank you, Bokuto. Use Kageyama to help plot the location of the island, I'd like to find this place again."

"Oh! Like making our own treasure map, Captain?" Hinata bounced on the log he was sitting on next to a grumpy faced Kageyama. His brother rubbed the sleep from his eyes. 

Iwaizumi gave a wry smile. "Something like that." 

 

**~~~~~**

 

Up ahead, Bokuto's energy had returned and was directing them to a 'lake' he had found a few days prior. 

Although still slightly worried over the man, Iwaizumi had decided to let him be, knowing Bokuto could experience mood swings due to the smallest of things but never truly took anything to heart. He and Kuroo walked together with Sawamura and Iwaizumi close behind. The rest trailed some ways back, Tanaka and Hinata jumping at every new bird cry, ready to fight the mythical "Boar of _Aper_ , this is its home, I know it, Hinata. The legend, they speak of this enchanting place, too perfect with a sleeping danger lurking." 

Iwaizumi snorted at that, it was only a myth, after all. An exaggeration, to be precise. But then, the last time he had thought something a myth, it had turned out to be true... He shook his head. There could only be so many true things, but the existence of mers combined with the many myths of them had the pirate captain wondering just how much more could be true. 

After swatting away what must have been the hundredth mosquito, Asahi had squirmed his way up next to Sawamura, no doubt also running from Noya's teasing. 

"How much farther, Bokuto-san?" The mild medic called out to the ones ahead, where Bokuto was scribbling notes onto the rolls of parchment Kuroo had shoved into the his hands. 

"Not too far!"  

They had come upon a clearing a few long moments later, and then freshwater glided towards the sun. It was, like Bokuto said, a small lake. After seeing nothing but trickles of water that eroded the soil in some areas, an almost marsh, Iwaizumi had begun to doubt just how close this lake was.

Three figures raced to the water, past their captain, one of which had already taken off his shirt. While Iwaizumi had appreciated the mers filling up their barrels of drinking water, the whole point of this expedition was to find it themselves. The island was their home, and the pirate crew were nothing but guests. They would not overwork their kind hosts, but Iwaizumi was tempted to overwork his rambunctious crew when, after only taking a few gulps to appease their thirst, catapulted into the water. 

Hinata was the first to scream. 

"Ow, ow, ow." The ginger cried, bolting up three feet in the air only to fall back down, rubbing his ass furiously. Tanaka clutched his left ankle, cursing everything between the third and fourth seas. Noya, meanwhile, had slid into the water and was floating on his back, whistling Tanaka's favorite shanty. 

Sawamura and Asahi had rushed to them first, Iwaizumi close behind. He and the quartermaster let the medic check for any injuries, thankful Asahi had found none. The giant's only advice: "Please think. _Please_." 

The other two snickered, and Sawamura clapped Asahi on the back before dropping to one knee to drink up. Kuroo and Bokuto had followed Noya and happily waded in the now known shallow lake... fully clothed. Iwaizumi pinched the bridge of his nose. He wasn't sure when he had become the captain of idiots and semi-idiots. The rolls of parchment Bokuto had been utilizing, at least, rested safely by the root of a tree far from the water. Maybe there was hope for some of them, yet. 

Following Sawamura's suit, Iwaizumi knelt to cup the crystalline water in his hands, raising it to his lips. The soft earth of the shallow bottom stirred from the use and the others' now ongoing water fight, the same substance that had surely pillowed the the reckless trio's dives earlier. It was then an overdone wave of water splashed the captain and the others. Immediately the Dumb Five stilled in their little play war. 

Blinking, Iwaizumi glanced up at them and then at the now drenched Sawamura next to him. 

Ah, what was it the crew called him sometimes? _Dadchi_. Given the commander's face at the moment, Iwaizumi did feel a slight chill at how uncanny Sawamura resembled his own father in that moment. He shook off the droplets of water that had long gone from his human cup to gesture them up in the air towards Sawamura, though he was sure to look each of the culprits in the eyes. 

_You're on your own._

 "A mile," Sawamura started, standing up and taking a deep breath before stating calmly in the authoritative voice he had surely used on one too many naval ships, in front of many more people. " _I walked a mile for this water..._ " 

 

**~~~~~~~~~~**

 

  
Days passed, and soon, the end of the first week was approaching. Daichi followed Bokuto's directions, turning at the natural fork in the trees overhead as instructed on the ripped scrap of parchment the other had drawn the path. 

It was a work day, technically, but one meant to take proper stock of the food supply they now had access to with Koushi's permission. A sole job given to Daichi. 

Koushi. The mer. Literal water angel. Daichi had seen the him several times in the past few days, always when the mers stopped by to interact with the crew before splitting off to chat personally with the authorities of the boat. Somehow, Daichi always found himself alone with the angelic mer... only long enough for small talk to run dry and turn into quick, polite goodbyes.    

His steps paused. Daichi stared at the map before looking around him, turning in search for... It says right here, there's a... 

Oh. There it is. A nest filled with dotted pale blue eggs was in some branches above, and Daichi had nearly missed it with his average vision until nighttime feathers fluttered over his head. A pitch black bird landed on the eggs, ruffling its feathers at Daichi, one wing wider than his own face. The beady eyes watched him. Carefully, he ducked under its branch and headed towards the curtain of whipping branches that touched the ground.

He peeked through, cautious of any more wild animals. Daichi didn't believe in the Boar of Aper, but, well, who's to say a rather similar boar wasn't running around the island? 

Just as he parted the leaves, he jerked back. 

Koushi was there. 

Daichi gulped, hard. Of course, he's there, it's _his_ garden. Daichi just needed to stop by, say hello, count the types of fruits, ask which were edible, negotiate how much they could take, and, and, and -- that's it! Right? He tried to slow his heartbeat, wiping his sweaty palms on his trousers. He could do this.  

Taking a breath, he stepped through the vine-like branches. Immediately confronted by knowing eyes that sparkled with amusement and an ethereal smile. Waving at him, Koushi floated behind a row of hedges that clustered around the bank of what looked to be another small lake, though deeper and at the base of a small hill. Somewhere in the back of Daichi's mind, he registered the sound of a nearby river. 

"Oh, good! You're here." Koushi beckoned him to come closer to the hedges that stood between them. "You can help me, I can never quite reach the weeds on the opposite side of the _Genetrix_." 

Daichi caught a flash of orange scales as the mer drew closer towards a section of the hedge on his left. Forcing his feet to move, Daichi nodded, offered a polite greeting, and knelt to the ground on the opposite side of the hedge. He rubbed at the sheen of a kelly green leaf, feeling its odd wax surface, then set to work on the sprouts poking out from the roots Koushi surely meant. 

His tongue felt heavy in his mouth, but the air was cool, far too early to leave Daichi perspiring and breathing heavily. The trek on the way here was a fair distance, more so than the last expedition, but it was an effortless hike. Daichi wanted to say more than a simple hello, but his brain was full of moth balls so he focused on ripping out each little weed. Their prior interactions wasn't this difficult. Daichi could make small talk just fine. He had done it with Koushi before, been able to expend his few jokes here and there, but now his throat was closing in. 

Clearing his throat, Daichi sunk low to reach farther beneath the _Genetrix_ plant. One of them he had to stretch for, pushing himself to see under the leaves and strange pink berries, only to find Koushi mirroring his movements. The mer tilted his head at Daichi, his beauty mark still scrunched from his smile. 

"You're awfully shy today," Koushi said before backing away. "There's more over here." 

Standing up again, the bushes of various fruit coming up to his waist, Daichi searched for the mer until he was found in a nearby trench, a gap between two hedges. Koushi was lodged in the dirt tunnel, soil smudging his scales and skin, but the bottom of his fin remained in the water. 

Mer tails were even longer than he had thought. 

Koushi was plucking at more sprouts, humming. "You're a bit afraid of us, aren't you, Daichi?" 

He tossed the uprooted sprouts into the water while Daichi stumbled for words. 

"N-no?"

"Daichi," Koushi patted the ground next to him, "Could you please get the other side here? Many hands make light work." 

Carefully, he edged around the trench, through the gap, to kneel beside the mer a few feet away. 

"Even with all my little paths, I can never quite reach the weeds on the far side. Thank you, Daichi." Koushi plucked the weeds out of his waiting hands, braided them, then tossed them into the water again. "Ah, careful. I wouldn't touch those." 

His hand paused, halfway to the dim viridian fruit. Daichi had moved down the hedge, past the next small trench, plucking weeds faster and faster until he came upon the last small stretch. 

"You'll be blind forever if a drop of the _Noctis_ touches your eye." Koushi was watching him, the smile gone. "Actually, all the plants fructosa from that hedge and down are poisonous." 

Daichi slowly backed away.   

"You don't have to get the weeds over there, they'll die soon by themselves. The _Caligo_ does that well enough on its own."  

Nodding, he came back to where Koushi was snapping off unruly branches. A simple action for a mer who helped push a 100 ton ship, but it was fast, each snap echoing the last. Koushi did it so calmly, Daichi wasn't sure if he remembered his earlier question. 

"The rest of the fruit is edible, however. Take as much as you like for your journey. The summer blooms will begin soon after you leave, and these spring blooms will only rot if someone doesn't eat them. So why not a band of pirates, then, hmm?" 

"Thank you." Daichi bowed slightly, awkwardly standing until Koushi's glare told him to sit on the spot he had gestured before. "It's very... kind of you."

"Even for a scary mer?" 

"Ah," Daichi tried to explain the best he could. Was he afraid of the mers at first? Yes, absolutely. They were power and beauty, two things when combined was a weapon stronger than 100 canons. "I will admit, yes, I was rather afraid, but I understand now, you're good people. Still, even good people can be..."

"Can be what?"

"You're rather terrifying, Koushi-san." Daichi felt his face flaming. This wasn't coming out the way he wanted at all, oh no. "Or, your plants and your tail are." 

Koushi's lips quirked. "Have you ever had to be terrifying, Daichi?"

"I'm not sure what you --" 

"When we met humans the first time, they tried to capture Keiji and Kenma. It's why Keiji hates you humans so much; he's never forgiven..." Koushi's hands paused; one reached to finger the scar along his throat. He gave a light huff at the sight of Daichi again, and Daichi dared to think it was in amusement. "That moment was terrifying, but my plants and tail helped me then to save them. I understand your intention, but you have scars. So, I ask you... Have you ever had to be terrifying, to save someone you loved?"  

 "Yes." His face settled into the serious expression the crew knew well. Daichi had loved his Navy days, but the end of his career still haunted him. "For my family, once."

"Tanaka, Noya, Asahi... those are their names? They're your family." 

He nodded.  

"Daichi, may I ask another question?" 

"Of course." 

"I heard... Is it... You were in the Navy." 

"Yes, I was a commander of a well respected ship, far bigger than that of Iwaizumi's. Tanaka, Noya, and Asahi were there as well, during my tenure. Asahi and I actually went to the Naval Academy together."

"You sound like you had enjoyed it. Then why a pirate now?" Koushi blinked at him, honestly curious. 

Daichi rubbed at the scar along his forearm. "Asahi and Noya... You've seen them, together?"

"I've heard them, actually. For someone so small, Noya ... has lungs." 

They chuckled briefly. 

"The world, the human world. Very few people approve of people like Asahi and Noya. I had thought our last crew would be some of the few to accept them, but I was wrong. They tried forcing the two to walk the plank; I wouldn't let them. We fought our way off the ship, stole a rowboat. Luckily for us, Iwaizumi's ship was nearby. He and I always had respect for one another, even when fighting for different emblems. I suppose I should have seen it coming, Seijoh was known to have lovers like Asahi and Noya. My old crew, they never shared my same respect for them... After boarding Seijoh, we never looked back." 

Koushi only nodded, humming quietly, hands tending to another nearby hedge. "I'm glad you're here, Daichi. Kenma generally helps me when he can be bothered enough to, but mostly, once his curiosity wanes and he's learned all he needs to, he stops." 

 "Here, try this." He handed Daichi the Genetrix from earlier. 

He rubbed his thumb against the faint fuzz of the fruit, then he nibbled a bit at its end. The skin was soft, and then he took a bigger bite. Koushi watched as he did, and Daichi prayed he didn't look disgusting as he ate the fruit. It was tart but juicy for something so small. Juice dribbled down his chin, and he felt heat that wasn't coming from his own skin. When he glanced up again, Koushi's gaze was burning. 

"Do you think your crew would enjoy this?" 

"Y-yes." He coughed. "Kuroo mentioned he's learning much from Kenma, and vice versa." 

Koushi gave a wry smile. "I wonder how long Kuroo can keep his interest. I think this is the longest Kenma has chased his... Curiousity." He brought another fruit to Daichi, larger this time and bright yellow. "Kuroo was not in the navy, no? What was he then, before he joined your crew?" 

"Mm," Daichi pleasantly hummed as he took a bite out of the new fruit, raising it in approval. "He's been there longer than I have. I think he and Bokuto were con artists, while Kuroo did some woodwork here and there. He's a good man, though, despite his dumb looks."

"Kenma is the youngest, you know. Tooru and Keiji tend to be a bit over-protective when it comes to him, but if you vouch for him, he must be kind." 

"Just how young is he?" While sure Kuroo was a good man, an uninformed Kuroo could also lead to disaster ... And he also knew the look in Kuroo's eye late at night and the lick of his lips. He knew the types of women and men Kuroo let lead the way to the nearest brothel. 

"Almost nine autumns younger than me. It will be my twenty-ninth year next summer." 

"Is... That still a child for mers?"

"No, though he is still new to maturity. _Maturitas_ begins at a mer's 19th summer and ends at their 29th." 

"Maturitas?" 

"The stages of our lives. _Nativitas_ is for our childhood. _Doceo_ is for our learning. _Maturitas_ is for fertility and unity. _Verteris_ is for stability, and the last is _Ante Mortus_ , before death."

"You're 28 years then? Your Maturitas is almost over... D-do you have a, er, mate?" 

Koushi shook his head, a frown tinting. "There are few mers, and fewer still are my interests in them." 

"Oh. I-I'm sorry." 

"Don't be. My brothers have always been my priority, and I have not once regretted my decisions. Do you? What stage are you in?"

"I understand, and no. Family has always been mine as well." And it was true, Daichi had joined the navy to find one, and he had in Tanaka, the pirate born who tried to defy his family name, in Noya, the sharp shooter gun master, and Asahi, the gentle medic and his best friend. Daichi had hoped by now that he would have settled down, if he were in the navy, but he never once regretted his decision to look out for them instead. "I suppose I'll be in my last year of Maturitas this winter, too." 

"Though us humans don't have names for those things, or even have that many stages. Do you think humans are still strange?" Daichi chuckled.

"Oh yes," Koushi said. "Strange because you are a disorganized and chaotic species, and sometimes cruel, but..." 

Daichi waited. 

"... but I think you're right, Daichi-san. Good people can be terrifying."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said a new chapter once a month, right? Well, it's still the goal, but the response last chapter was so great I was able to pump out some writing before I left for my trip! 
> 
> I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Thank you so much for the comments and words of encouragement. They mean so much, and it'll be so nice to return to them when I get back. 
> 
> **I drew a map. . . a really. . . basic map, but it's a map of the mer's island that you can find at this link[here](http://eccentrick-stardust.tumblr.com/post/145378585972/for-my-fic-mare-et-terra-on-ao3-i-am-not-an) **
> 
> Tbh, I'm seriously waiting for someone to google all the random Latin words I use... I hope whoever does it laughs, especially with Boar of Aper.


	8. a drunken sailor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the pirates and the mers have a grand time around the campfire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @eccentrick deserves a million hugs for this chapter.

Kenma played with the stud in his hands. 

He hadn't given back the locket yet, it still heavy around his neck, but Kuroo had come with a different piece of jewelry each day. Today was earrings. Precious stones, _rubies_ , Kuroo called them, with a spike for a tail. He thought they resembled a stiff fish he would typically find in the tide pools. Kuroo flashed his own hooped gold earring at him earlier, showing how humans wore the strange things. It was the only one that required pain, he said, but it didn't hurt if done right. 

Perhaps, Kenma thought, he wouldn't mind receiving one of these piercings to wear the stones that seemed to absorb the sun's glare. 

Despite all the new pieces Kuroo had brought him, Kenma had kept none of them. Just the locket. Kuroo asked for it back every evening but Kenma always drifted back out to sea, hearing Kuroo's promise of tomorrow.  

He batted away the hand that reached for his hair, still engrossed fiddling with the rubies. 

"Every day, I see you with a different type of braid. Where did you learn them?" 

Kenma shrugged. He pressed the sharp end of an earring into the skin of his forefinger. 

"Mer secret," he huffed out in a short breath as he did his best to bend the tail of the earring. He had quickly learned this phrase was the fastest way to shut up Kuroo, even for ridiculous things that weren't any sort of sacred information, like somehow learning to braid. 

Explaining, however, would take away Kenma's attention from the stones that were as red as his tail. Too much attention he didn't feel was worth the conversation, not when he could be attempting to remove the stones from its gilded holders. Kenma was debating if these would be another thing he kept, maybe for when he would return the necklace.  

In the past few days, whenever Kenma would murmur those magical words, the pirate would huff, stretch out his arms, and lay on Kenma's favorite rock to rest his eyes. It was welcome reprieve from Kuroo's all too knowing stare. This time, however, Kuroo didn't turn his eyes away, keeping the gaze on Kenma still. Kuroo's presence was like the nets Kenma had seen on ships, picking up masses of fish, floating in the water in wide berths but still there, still surrounding.   

Kuroo's hand reached out again, pausing briefly, but Kenma had given up on stopping him. Fingers skittered over the huge, open blooms, Kenma had woven into the raven strands. 

"It's too long," Kenma said. It was easier now, to let out the little thoughts in his head, absent-minded as they were, to be the one to speak first in the pirate's presence. 

"We might have some hair clips, jeweled ones, that you'd might like." Kuroo shrugged with his shoulders. "After all, at this rate, there's not a single piece of jewelry on the ship that you haven't seen."

"There's..." Kenma stopped, "no more?" His hands fell down and water cascaded into his limp palms, causing the rubies to begin its descent to the ocean floor. Kenma stared back at Kuroo, knowing his expression was open and confused, shocked even. He searched for any tug of the lips, any eye twitch that told him Kuroo was simply joking. 

"Well, none in my trunk. The others have their own shares, but you'd truly have to have give them back then." 

He blinked at Kuroo. The pirate rubbed at the back of his head but gave an awkward, apologetic smile. Kenma turned his attention back to the water that rose to his navel. The waves were calm at this time of day, rising lightly and soft against Kenma's skin. In the tide pools and this side of the island, the water was clear enough to see all its rocky terrain below. The sun was still being absorbed down there, Kenma could see, in two little stones.  

Kenma dove down to the bottom of the tide pool, fast and uncaring for the crabs and fish that scuttled along, snapping at him. Kenma grabbed a fistful of sand, letting the water pull some of it back through the cracks of his fingers as he swam back up. He felt the spiked tails of the earrings in his palm, and his memory recalled touching all the silver and gold and emeralds and sapphires Kuroo had given him in the past few days. Kuroo _gave_ them to Kenma, he wasn't simply showing Kenma the riches of the human world. 

Gifts were commonplace things for the mers, always exchanging shells and flower blooms, but always with the intention of never returning the items. Kenma was wrong, perhaps there were some things he and Kuroo did not understand about the other.  

He broke surface nearest to the rock Kuroo was leaning over and dumped the earrings, sand and all, onto the slab. "You..." He breathed heavily, more from his anxious thoughts than exertion, "you don't want these back?" 

Kuroo smiled softly at him, Kenma's favorite smile, it was pure and friendly, but quiet. Kenma watched as he picked up the earrings and dipped down to rinse off the sand. "You can keep all the jewelry I've shown you, I just want my locket back before we leave." 

He gestured for Kenma to take the things again, but Kenma's hands reached instinctively for the weight around his neck, a  weight that echoed all of Kuroo's gifts. Gifts Kenma enjoyed browsing but always returned. They weren't gifts, Kenma realized, they were potential trades for the locket.

They would be leaving soon, he remembered Tooru whining about this fact the night before as he fell asleep, but now he could understand his brother's cries. His heart felt like whining at the potential loss of the locket that truly belonged to Kuroo.

"How far along are you... in repairs?" 

Kuroo leaned back, shifting into his prior position, fist closed around the rubies. "Scrubbing off the barnacles was half the battle. Now we have to cut down the trees, but it's turning the timber into planks that will be a bitc-, er, difficult. I may be a carpenter, but I hate cutting down wood." 

Half a moon cycle, he remembered, that was how much longer he had to hold the locket. He took in a breath to settle his nerves over the future return of the locket. He still had time.

" _Gratius vita_." Kenma lifted himself up onto the rock to sit next to Kuroo. Another strange thing for him to do, but somehow... Kuroo had an uncomfortable way of making Kenma comfortable. His voice alone aided in easing the last trails of chaotic thoughts away. "After you cut the trees, whisper 'gratius vita'." 

"Mer secret?" Kuroo asked him, a brow raised and his lips twisting into the teasing smirk he often held. 

Kenma shook his head, his hands now toying with his hair and unraveling the braid. "A thank you for its purpose." He felt his nose scrunching at the tangles his fingers tugged against. "Too long," he muttered again. 

"I can help you cut it," Kuroo offered. "Tomorrow, I'll bring the combs I mentioned." He plucked the blossom from Kenma's hair before his webbed hands could do it himself. "Did you say ' _gratius vita_ ' for this?" 

Kenma nodded, though for mers, the phrase was inherent for them. In every subconscious thought before their hands or spears could break apart pieces of a whole, _gratius vita_ was a habit. Even Keiji, who sometimes seemed crueler than he was, Kenma knew he said it. 

"I promise then, to say it. I'll tell the others, too." Kuroo snorted suddenly, causing Kenma to look at him in question. "Noya will probably yell that to all the trees." 

Noya... Kenma had heard that name shouted more than once when he watched the crew at work. He had heard it enough to know Kuroo was referring to the shortest pirate, the one who bounded everywhere, sand flying through the air wherever he last left. He was also... 

"Is he the one with the hair?"

"The one... Do you mean the one without hair? That's Tanaka." 

"No." How did Kenma begin to describe the strange sight that was Noya's hair? He didn't know the term for it, but he wanted it. He tugged at the hair that parted in the center of his forehead. "Yellow?" 

"Oh, the one with the dyed hair? Yeah, that's Noya alright." 

Kuroo was sitting up fully now, their shoulders brushing. _Dyed_ it, Kuroo said. Was that how? Could humans change their color, by killing it off? 

"How do you 'dyed' hair?" Kenma asked, blinking up at Kuroo who held his gaze for a short moment before he was falling backwards. His hand pressed against his mouth so only snickers could escape. Kenma flapped his tail against the rock in irritation. He didn't like to wait for answers, or be laughed at. 

"Would you like to," Kuroo coughed into a fist, obviously trying to withhold his humor, "dye your hair?" 

"Yellow?"

"Yes, we could dye it blond." 

 _Blond,_ he whispered the word in his mind, liking the way it sounds, just like _gold_.

Kenma nodded. "Tomorrow?" 

"Tomorrow." 

 

**~~~~~**

Iwaizumi passed by each crew member, asking how they were doing, thanking them for their hard work as they all sat around the small fire pit they built. He could feel Tooru watching him from the tidal pool, idly chatting with Kuroo and Bokuto. Though, Bokuto seemed more intent on playing his music than anything. Iwaizumi had yet to speak to either of them in the past week, and he had to do it soon. The most words said to the other between the "matey-est of mates" was the request to cut his hair and Kuroo's agreement on 'tomorrow, before you run off again'. 

Kenma was resting on his common perch while transforming Koushi's silver hair into magnificent twists that highlighted the darker greys beneath the moonlight. A bit difficult as Koushi kept turning his head to converse with Sawamura and Asahi, obviously sharing the properties of the fruits his quartermaster was holding. The fire making any possible blush a little too difficult to see when Koushi briefly rested his hand in Sawamura's to pick a bright pink berry. 

Noya and Hinata were too busy having a belching contest while Tanaka judged. Iwaizumi rested his hand on Kageyama's shoulder and squeezed briefly before walking back to his spot closest to the edge of the tide pool. They had elected to build another fire closer to the water, to dine with the mers. Tooru flashed him a brief smile. 

Bokuto deflated when he heard Keiji, the hunter mer, was not joining them, but had shrugged. "It's kinda nice, though, knowing I'm the only one he likes talking to," he told Tooru. 

"Mm," Tooru hummed, tapping his claws against the sand, his eyes narrowed. "That's rather remarkable. Kei-chan hardly ever talks to anyone at all. Say, what do you two talk about?" 

 Bokuto's hand stilled over his shamishen. "Mostly random things. I read him my books sometimes, or play him my music." He played a tender note. "I feel bad, though, I think I talk about myself too much?" 

"Don't give up, Boku-chan. You may charm him, yet." Tooru winked at the pirate, causing Bokuto to smile so wide, Iwaizumi thought his cheeks were ready to burst. 

Iwaizumi lightly shoved Tooru's shoulder. "Oi, stop giving my crew false hope." 

"I am not!" Tooru sniffed. 

"You're the worst." He rolled his eyes, enjoying poking fun at the mer. 

" _You're_ the worst. Out of all the members of your crew, you're by far the rudest, Iwa-chan." 

"Nah," Kuroo batted his hand. "That's a special place reserved for Matsukawa and Hanamaki."

Noya and Tanaka groaned. 

"Do you remember that one time they tucked salted fish in between the sheets of our hammocks? When they come back, I am _so_ hitting them upside the head with this pan." Tanaka shook the metal in his hand, near the water now to wash away the food and grime. 

Noya crossed his arms, grumbling. "What a _goodbye present_ that was. Assholes."   

Smirking at Tooru, Iwaizumi couldn't help but press the teasing a little further. "See? I'm the nicest. I don't see any of _your_ brothers rising to your defense." 

"Mm," Koushi stroked his newly braided hair thoughtfully, "Nope, Tooru-kun is definitely the worst."

"Kou-chan," Tooru whined, thrusting up his tail, hoping to rain water upon his brother, an equally powerful tangerine tail arose out of the water to both block and send a strong wave of water at Tooru in retaliation. 

Iwaizumi had to cover his ears at the loud shriek that emitted next to him.

Laughing, Koushi swam closer to where most of them huddled, wrapping an arm around a still indignant Tooru. Kenma trailed after him, immediately burying his fingers in Tooru's short hair as he floated behind his brother, carefully placing Tooru between him and Kuroo it seemed. 

"When will we meet this cruel duo, 'Matsukawa and Hanamaki'?" Koushi gave a small, gentle smile, but when Iwaizumi met his hazel eyes, he was greeted with guarded caution. 

While Tooru was the loudest, the strongest, Iwaizumi bowed his head slightly, nothing more than a sharp tilt forward, owing Koushi's due as the leader of the mers. Iwaizumi could respect his caution. 

"This," Iwaizumi gestured to those around him, "isn't the entirety of our crew. Many of them, like Matsukawa and Hanamaki, decided to take an adventure on land for once or a vacation."

Tanaka snorted. "Vacation? Sailing away at sea isn't a vacation already?"  

"Yeah!" Hinata nodded, but Iwaizumi ignored them both. 

Tanaka was more than a little salty about the salted fish ("Nooo, my sweet sweet delicacies. Oh, how you've been wasted!" Iwaizumi remembered him crying.)

"You'd like Yahaba, though." He nudged Tooru again. "He's like you, but less annoying." 

"You know who I miss? Watari. Now, he was one dependable pirate. When's Watari coming back, skipper? We've been going like this for over a year." Tanaka asked.

Hinata, lost in the conversation, kept asking more about the members of the crew he had never met. ("Who's Watari?" and "Wait, he's called the what? Mad-dog chan?") 

So, the crew spent the better part of an hour telling tales of their landed crew members, hypothesizing the messes they were surely getting themselves into, and lastly, Noya groaning he hated being the only couple aboard Seijoh. 

("Noya-senpai, Ya-Yahaba's... uh, um, l-louder than you?" Kageyama asked in disbelief, embarrassment tinting his cheeks.

"Pft, he wishes. I won ten to eight last time before he left." Noya puffed proudly. Asahi's face burned brighter than the flames.) 

"Where will you be headed, after your stay here?" Koushi asks as Bokuto and Hinata talk about the lands they had seen and the ones they had hoped to see. 

"We'll go back to treasure hunting." He shrugs, feeling Tooru deflate a little next to him. They hadn't talked much about Iwaizumi's inevitable departure, and he had a feeling they both wanted to keep avoiding the subject. "Looking for some fancy cup in the island chain south of here." 

"Oh oh! Captain! Tell the story again, about the wedding chalice." Hinata called, drunk and sticking his hand up high in the air like a student, when the conversation had turned into Noya and Asahi's wedding plans. (Tanaka was going to be the best man, of course. The balded man stuck his tongue at his quartermaster as he declared it, only to pout after when Sawamura reminded him that there would be two best mans at the wedding.)

"What's this, Iwa-chan's a myth bearer?" Tooru rested his chin upon his hand, perched and leaning in closer.  

With everyone looking at him expectantly, Tooru included, Iwaizumi groaned under his breath. 

"When the world was just beginning," he droned, rolling his eyes at his crew members' eager grins falling slack. He had to push away Noya's face as grew to close, ignoring the jab about how Tooru was much more in his personal space.  

"Oh, come on, cap. Be serious, here." Kuroo kicked a bit of sand in his direction. Iwaizumi needed a break from being the only story teller aboard. 

He cleared his throat to start over, with a less exasperated tone. "There was a marriage was to be held. The wedding chalice, the one we're searching for," he nodded at Tooru, as he had mentioned this to him before, finally embracing the story with more vigor, "was meant to join the Earth Mother and Sky Father fore--" He caught the gaze of three mers and their widening eyes, offense slowly writing into their features. Even Kenma had poked his head out behind Tooru to blatantly stare at Iwaizumi. "Forever. Then the Sea Mother, jealous and spiteful from not being invited used her power to steal the cup and --"

"No, no, no!" Tooru screeched. Consecutive and furious splashes of water hit Iwaizumi.

"Is this, is this what humans think of the Sea Mother?" Koushi gaped, disappointment and horror in every etching of his grimace. 

Kenma mirrored his brother's faces, but his shocked silence spoke louder than his brothers. The youngest mer's gold eyes were more visible than ever through his black curtain of hair, and Iwaizumi could see the slight _hurt_ of all things.  

Somewhere beyond them, Iwaizumi could hear the faint sound of scraped rock, could see a flicker of an agitated midnight tail. 

"That is _not_ what happened." Tooru seethed. "That wedding was the unity ceremony between the Earth Mother and the _Sea Mother_. That chalice was the Sea Mother's. Wh-how stupid are humans?"

"I-I-" Iwaizumi wasn't sure what to say when faced with three angry mers. He could feel the unease beginning to creep into his crew members, a slight nervousness at three pairs of doubled fangs that were beginning to peek past lips. Bad relations between their two groups was the last thing he wanted. "It's the only main version of the myth we've heard through the years. All variations among pirates are similar. I apologize, we didn't know there was another," at the slicing glare of Koushi, he amended, "an entirely different one." 

Tooru sniffed, crossing his arms, and lips settled into a pout. The tension slid away from the mers' faces, though the disdain stayed. They returned to their former positions with Kenma behind Tooru. 

"Fine. You tell us yours, and we'll tell you ours.  

With the mers no longer bristled, Iwaizumi's crew slowly began to loosen up as well, curiosity over lesbian goddesses seeming to enrapture them in the new tale. Iwaizumi briefly went over the pirate version of the myth, saving no version from the mers despite their disgusted expressions. 

"Kenma-kun," Koushi touched the young mer's shoulder. "Would you like to tell the true myth?" 

The young mer's eyes shifted over all of them before he spoke; the crew had to strain their ears to hear his low murmurs. 

"They were in love, the goddess of the sea and the goddess of the earth, meant to join together in unity. The Sea Mother had gifted the Earth Mother a chalice of saltwater, her tears of love. In the unity ceremony, the two were to drink from this cup as symbol of fusing their essence. But, the night before, the Sky Father sent an enticing wind, touching the Sea Mother, promising... promising something elsethan the Sea Mother could give."    

"The Earth Mother threw the chalice back into the ocean instead of showing up to the ceremony the next morning, but only she knows what it is the Sky Father had promised her in trade of spurning her love." Koushi added during Kenma's pause.  

"When she left the Sea Mother, the Earth Mother created you humans. The only good thing she did." Tooru wrinkled his nose. 

"The Sea Mother's tears turned to sorrow, then tears of vengeance, a concoction that gave birth to the first mers. The Sea Mother vowed to never love again. Even when Moonlight, the Sky Father's rebellious daughter had offered to create a realm strong enough to rival her father's with the Sea Mother, she refused." 

"Legend says she did not want to bathe half the world in eternal darkness, for she still loved the Earth Mother so." Tooru added softly, close to Iwaizumi's ear. "Still wanted to be close to her."

Silence descended upon their entire party, some watching the flames dance in thought, others gazing at the moon and stars above, the Sky Father's domain, and at the sand they sat upon, digging for the soft earth beneath. 

"No matter the version..." Asahi's timbre rumbled. "The Sky Father's still a --" 

"A dick." Hinata said more confidently than last time. 

"Honestly," Kuroo huffed. 

"Still unworthy of the Earth Mother's love!" Tanaka shook his pan at the sky.  

"Wow." Bokuto lifted his bow, clutched it to his chest. "That's painful. I want to write a song about it." With that, he began playing endless, melancholy notes before Hinata and Kuroo began throwing bits of their bread at him.  

"I don't wanna cry, Bo!" 

Hinata scrubbed at his eyelids, even though Bokuto had been playing for less than a minute. "Mmhmm. _Too_ sad, Bokuto-san."    

 "How about a happier tune, then?" Koushi offered. The silver haired mer shared a mischievous glance with Tooru. 

"We know one, but it's a bit... quick. Think you could keep up, Boku-chan?"  

"Sure!" Bokuto grinned before thumbing at the quartermaster. "He's always complaining I have terrible tunes, maybe you'll change his mind, Koushi." 

"Oh, we'll _definitely_ have to change that." Koushi winked at Sawamura who simply gave a smile.

"You're on, Bokuto." 

"Alright everyone, clap your hands like this." Koushi demonstrated the beat slowly, it seemed simple enough despite Tooru's earlier taunt and Koushi's insistence to practice the pattern a few times. 

Tooru began to hum along with the beat, a high melody quickly echoed by Bokuto on his shamishen. 

"What will we do..." The two older mers started, slowly clapping the beat to the first verse and chorus of their song, but when the crew began to catch on just before the next verse, they began to sing faster and faster, higher than any of the men could compete, like a game of Ring Around the Rosie. The men tried their best to keep up,  until one by one, they all began to lose themselves in the words and stumble the beat with their hands. 

The only winner was Bokuto, who didn't sing, but kept the tune on his shamishen just fine. (Sawamura now owed him ten gold pieces.)

Iwaizumi had lost long before the song had picked up speed when he heard Tooru sing. 

 _Jesus fucking Christ_ , his voice was slightly nasal but did it still have to threaten to burst Iwaizumi's heart out of his chest?  

  
**~~~~  
**

 

Later, when the fire died and everyone tucked into their hammocks or tents, Iwaizumi kicked sand over the ashes just to be sure. 

Then he waited for Tooru to come back, as he knew the mer would in a few short minutes after saying goodnight to his brothers. 

Resting his hands on hips, he let a long breath escape. He looked out across the inky horizon and the even darker night sky. Pirates were content to know everything and nothing at all; and it was just the way Iwaizumi liked it after a night trading tall tales.

Something grabbed at his boot as he walked to his and Tooru's meeting point. Expecting his mer, he was startled to see black hair and intense gold eyes looking up at him, the color told to be of dragon scales, molten and shining. 

"I can help you find the chalice," Kenma murmured, his voice soft compared to his strong gaze. 

Iwaizumi huffed out a breath, it almost sounded relieved. "Thank you, Kenma. I didn't realize the mers knew where it --"

"I don't know, but the Sea Mother--" Kenma's grasp on his boot disappeared and his eyes fluttered closed. The young mer shivered slightly in the water. "I can guide you to the chalice, if you pass an obstacle, no... a test."

"Alright," Iwaizumi agreed, still baffled by the prophetical way Kenma delivered this information. But if Kenma could tell them which island, at least, then Iwaizumi could embrace the strange ways of the youngest mer. He had gleaned Kenma held the most knowledge about the sea among the four mers.

When Kenma opened his eyes, his gaze had muted and no longer held eye contact with him. Instead, they flickered to a blue tail headed towards them. 

"Good night, Iwaizumi-san." Kenma whispered before he turned to swim in the opposite direction.

Iwaizumi only watched Kenma's departure until a different mer took all his attention and the strong waves suddenly crashing in pushed back the memory, almost until he could hardly remember it happened at all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Skipper** : Captain
> 
> Probably my least favorite chapter thus far, I'm sorry if anyone is disappointed with it. I promise you'll like the next chapter more (I hope)! 
> 
> Song the mers sing is actually a pirate shanty but imagine the lyrics being mer-centric and about being bored one day. If the song is familiar to you, you may have heard it on a Backyardigans episode. You can listen to the actual shantie here: 
> 
> http://brethrencoast.com/shanty/Drunken_Sailor.html 
> 
>  
> 
> **Thank you to everyone new and old who have stuck with this fic. Your support means so much!**
> 
>  
> 
> P.S. If you think the section where they start singing is borderline ridiculous, let me know, yeah? I've kept it for now, but if my suspicions are right, I'll edit it out.


	9. so cold and so sweet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing butt Iwaoi. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter we've all been waiting for... We finally live up to the rating of this fic. 
> 
> If you're concerned with the content, please see the new tags above (everything is 100% consensual and fluffy). If you wish to skip: 
> 
> "How about..." is the beginning. 
> 
> "Nodding" is the end of it. 
> 
> Please forgive me in advance, a majority of this was written during the hours of 3-5am and few hours later after a nap on several nights.
> 
> Thank you to Dawn for being a wonderful beta ;)

Iwaizumi had one too many habits. Routines carried with him since he was young, rapping his knuckles on his steering wheel, storing the fruits on the opposite side of the pantry from the roots. But for a man of habit, he was incredibly stubborn to the the automatic ticks people developed. At times, a bit more stubborn than Kageyama.

It had taken several years of Irihata smacking the back of his head before he had taken to knocking on the steering wheel before setting course. Tanaka's yelling had only conditioned Iwaizumi recently. Walking along the shore, pants rolled up so waves could trap his bare feet for a brief moment while Tooru swam leisurely in the shallows every night was quickly becoming a habit. The fastest Iwaizumi had ever developed. They would have moments of quiet, lost in their own thoughts, a few mere meters of water between them, so much like the nights Iwaizumi had spent searching. But with Tooru there, his mind was silent. Until they came across the tide pool they first met, scattered conversations and Iwaizumi walking farther and farther into the water was all they did.

Iwaizumi considered less of what they did each night as the habit that was growing beneath his skin, but rather, Tooru was becoming the habit. He wasn't sure how or when, but he did know his reluctance to return to his ship was growing each night.

If only his crew could hear his innermost thoughts then. They'd either be stunned speechless or die laughing from disbelief to hear Iwaizumi prolonged returning to his beloved vessel. He scoffed to himself as he settled on the sand nearest to Tooru in the pool, but still safe enough to avoid soaking his ass in the water.

Tooru rested his forearms on Iwaizumi's knees, another habit.

"Iwa-chan, would you like to try something different tonight? All we ever do is talk, talk, talk." Tooru pouts at him.

He flicks the mer's forehead. "What do you propose then?"

Tooru sits up from where his head was resting and swims back a bit. "Come in the water with me. I want to show you something."

Despite the imploring gaze set upon him, Iwaizumi hesitated. Tooru tugged slightly on his ankle, the pout still in place. Iwaizumi was not afraid of the water, or being in the water with Tooru, but rather, being such a close proximity with him. In the water, there would be no barrier between them, nothing solid like the ground. Everything in the sea was shifting and passing through one's finger, passing through touch to touch. 

Jesus, was it even normal to _ache_ for a mer's touch? (According to legend, it was. Iwaizumi was truly starting question the fabric of reality itself here.) 

With another glance at Tooru's earnest expression, wide and pleading, with the stars reflected in his warm irises, how could Iwaizumi say no? Why would he even _want_ to say no? His brain was empty and unwilling to provide reasons. Iwaizumi was stopping himself, just as he had been the night before, and he already knew of the enticing reception he would receive if he simply said _yes_. 

Pretending to be more disgruntled and reluctant than he was, Iwaizumi gave a long and annoyed sigh as he stood up. "Fine, but soon as I get in there, I'm dunking your big head back underwater." 

Tooru stuck out his tongue at Iwaizumi, who lifted his shirt over his head. Cool water sprinkled onto his chest as he did so, only to glare at the mer once the garment was off. His boots were long gone due to his evening strolls with Tooru. He folded up the ends of his trousers up to just below his knees, snug and tight around his calf. 

"Iwa-chan," Tooru whined as Iwaizumi stepped back into the pool, "you're so slow."

"Happy now?" He asked the mer when he had walked far enough into the pool that the water rose to shoulders and he stood right in front of Tooru. 

Instead of a receiving a reply, Tooru took his hand and tugged him out past the tide pool and into the open water. Tooru was insistent to get Iwaizumi moving, but slowed to let him start up his swimming legs until they paddled alongside each other.  

The webbed hand in his tightened, nearly crushing his bones. 

"Hold your breath," was the only warning he received before Iwaizumi was plunged down into the dark abyss. 

He thrashed. Panicking at the lack of vision, the loss of body he felt being pulled with high force and higher speed in waters that enveloped you tighter and tighter. He couldn't help but squirm and pull from the grip that held him. His lungs were expanding by the second. The air building up and begging for release let Iwaizumi know he had been beneath the water for almost a minute, but they were only going deeper and deeper in sightless water. 

He tugged the hand held in his again. This time to communicate. 

Tooru's movements slowed until they stopped, and a soft touch he could only feel against his cheek told him of Tooru's proximity, his apology. 

Lips covered his, and momentarily, Iwaizumi forgot the balloon stuck in his chest. It was just for a second, because then those lips were prying his open, his breath escaping... and new oxygen flowing back into him. 

Tooru pulled away. The hand that was holding his face now back between his fingers, pulling him once more towards the ocean floor. 

Iwaizumi didn't think it could get any darker but each nautical underwater mile they traveled proved him wrong. They exchanged air twice more, each time slightly longer than the last. Each time, he felt smooth scales rub against his bare ankles and the bottom of his feet, but never did he not feel the cool touch of Tooru's hand. He felt no trace of panic and blindly followed Tooru into the dark. Habit, he thought again. Iwaizumi had formed the habit of effortlessly placing trust in the mer ever since he decided to follow a tail. 

The water rolled and shifted far beneath the surface, like the gentle rocking of his ship, and Iwaizumi felt it more and more as Tooru slowed once again. 

He felt the glow before he saw it, the warmth of an underwater sun almost, but instead it was an underwater meadow. A hazy pale green reflecting off Tooru's pale skin and shimmering tail illuminated the ocean floor. The light spread from the patch among the sand that was packed with a plant Iwaizumi had never seen before. 

Marveling at the sight, feeling the glow clinging to his skin, Iwaizumi didn't realize the loss of contact until Tooru was swimming in front of him, sweeping over the plants. Swift hands, hands Iwaizumi wished would return to him, plucked one of the bright organisms. 

With one last press of lips, one last breath exchanged, Tooru had wrapped his arms around Iwaizumi's thighs. Even in the dim light, Iwaizumi's eyes were blown open despite burning from the salt. Tooru shot upwards even quicker than when they had descended. When they broke the surface, Iwaizumi felt as though they were a cannonball. 

Breathing heavily, Tooru's arms had moved upwards to hold around his waist as he regained his bearings. The mer only released him when Iwaizumi whacked him and said he float on his own. 

A soft but thin smile Iwaizumi had come to learn only appeared when Tooru, of all things, was shy. Still, the silly mer let the flower he had picked float in the water between them, rising and falling with the sea. It had lost its glow, but its translucent petals still seemed to absorb the moonlight. 

"You dragged me to the bottom of the oceans to grab some weeds?" Iwaizumi huffed as his arms and legs shifted. 

Tooru shook his head, swimming close enough to wrap his tail around Iwaizumi's legs, upholding him. 

"Stupid, Iwa-chan, these aren't weeds." He scooped the flower in his hands, water dripping, and raised it closer to Iwaizumi's face. The plants center held tiny, numerous tendrils whose bulbous tips seemed to squirm with life. "The Aoba Johsai plants only grow here beneath the island. They only glow on summer nights." 

Tooru's skin, too, seemed to absorb the moonlight, rays of light soaking into his skin while the stars seemed to embed themselves into his dark eyes. In this light, Tooru's eyes must have been darker, deeper than Iwaizumi's own, an entire universe within them. 

"It is rather beautiful," he murmured, his gaze finally flickering back to the Aoba Johsai. 

"The field you saw is where I hatched." There it was again, that tight lipped nervous but sweet smile that did things to Iwaizumi's heart. 

He reached out to wipe the drenched dark hair out of Tooru's face, exposing his forehead all the way to his hairline. A funny look, but one Iwaizumi thought brought out the innocence in Tooru, making it glean a little bit just like the flower.

"Is this supposed to be apart of some weird mer courting thing? If so, you're rather shit at it. You didn't even give me a warning, just like this." Iwaizumi pressed his lips against Tooru's, but not for air this time, but for the sole pleasure of pulling him closer so they were chest to chest, nose to nose, and mouth to mouth. It was Iwaizumi who wrapped his arms around Tooru's waist, holding them together. His fingers trailed along where scales scattered and blended into taut skin. 

This time, he didn't stop with a simple press of the lips. Instead, he slotted them together, angled his head, and kissed Tooru deeper than the abyss below. 

 

**~~~~**

 

Tooru prayed Iwaizumi would never let him go, even when they parted to swim back to their little tide pool. He thought young him was in love, but the past several nights had proved to him he was more in love with Iwaizumi than he thought. He was in love with all the petals that composed Iwaizumi Hajime, too, like the thousands petals which formed his _nativitas_ plant. 

Tooru loved the way Iwaizumi'snose scrunched after he lifted himself out of the water, pulling at his soaked trousers. 

Feeling bolder now after their shared kisses, Tooru rested his hand on Iwaizumi's thigh. 

"Iwa-chan, you really shouldn't have gotten in the water wearing so many clothes. Now look at you. Tomorrow, you'll be whining 'Dumbass Tooru, it's because of you I have sand between my ass cheeks'." He grumbled, forcing his voice to produce a deeper tone similar to Iwaizumi's.

Tooru felt a sharp flick on his forehead. He loved this, too. 

"I don't whine, that's your habit." 

Tooru _tsk_ ed, his hand sliding higher over the rough, drenched fabric, feeling the soft muscle beneath. His fingers trailed all the way up to the edge. 

Tooru didn't miss the sharp inhale, the clenched abdomen. When he raised his gaze, blown pupils watched him, his face, his movements. Only the slight furrow of Iwaizumi's brow indicated his caution, but there was no hint of _stop_. 

"You should really take these off, Iwa-chan." Tooru dropped his pitch an octave lower but at more natural level than his earlier impression. "Give them a chance to dry before you head back." 

"How about," another sharp inhale, a brief pause, "How about you take it off?" 

Tooru leaned forward quickly, though he hadn't expected such a response. The excitement propelled him anyway, made his hand curl around the waistband while the other pressed against Iwaizumi's abdomen, feeling the dips of muscle there, too. 

"Are you sure?" He asked, their noses close again like before. 

"Well," Iwaizumi shrugged but never broke eye contact, "it's only fair, right? Considering you're naked all the time." 

They fell into another kiss, Iwaizumi's hands cupping his face before one found itself weaved into his damp hair. 

Kissing Iwaizumi this way was unfair, the way he nipped at Tooru's bottom lip and then soothed it with a swipe of his tongue. Tooru couldn't do that to him, with his four canine teeth, but he could pull that plump bottom lip with a purse of his own, a light suckle. It was when he brought Iwaizumi's tongue into his own mouth, wrapping their appendages together, sucking all the while, that he heard a soft moan. 

Oh, mother, Tooru thought. His body temperature spiked at that sound alone. The heat traveled from their conjoined mouths and down, down his body, into his core and just below his scales. He could feel it burn and start to melt, to split open. Tooru really needed to get Iwaizumi's pants off, and he tried, he really did. But his distracted fingers and clouded mind made it difficult to release the damn thing. 

He growled in frustration, finally breaking apart. 

Stupid button. He heard, more like felt, Iwaizumi chuckle in his ear, the puffs of hair making his now overheating aquatic body shiver. 

Warm, tan hands covered his own, helping him release the button. Then, he was yanking the pirate's soaked pants down the fastest he could without ripping them. A difficult thing to do with it wet and sticking to the thickness of Iwaizumi's thighs. 

"Really, Iwa-chan," he whined, "you should have taken this off before you went into the water." 

Iwaizumi only lifted his hips and shrugged the garment the rest of the way down while wearing a wicked smirk. 

Tooru didn't think his breathing could get any heavier, but he was wrong as his eyes caught sight of the upright appendage, hard and leaking. The sight caused his own to finally break free of his opening. Then, he was lifting himself up higher and out of the water to lay next to his pirate on the slab of rock. Next to him wasn't quite right, however, more like, he was partially _laying_ on Iwaizumi. 

When their cocks brushed together briefly, Tooru keened. 

"I told you," Iwaizumi whispered again in his sensitive ear, mouthing the bottom lobe of it, as though just to make Tooru shake in delight once more. "You like to whine." 

Their lips met, slotting and pursing together, tongues peeking out ever so often. Iwaizumi pressed him closer with one arm wrapped around Tooru's waist, thumbing over his scales that he was sure were a bright blue beacon now. 

Feeling that warm hand cover his, it guided him to the heat between them. Once his fingers touched his leaking cock, he didn't need the gentle urge from Iwaizumi. He wrapped his hand around his own and pressed close to Iwaizumi, grabbing his and slicking them together.

"I-I-Iwa-chan," Tooru breathed. 

Mers and humans had some differences in this area, after all. While Iwaizumi was spilling dribbles, it was nowhere near the amounts exuded from Tooru. Slick kept pouring forth, spilling onto Iwaizumi, making it easier to run their cocks together. Tooru kept burning, his skin ignited wherever he and Iwaizumi touched. 

He hadn't realized when his entirety was laid atop  of Iwaizumi. Maybe it was when Tooru pressed closer and closer, right after Iwaizumi had pressed a thumb over the top, sliding over it and pressing against the slit there. Or, it was the short, jerked thrusts both their hips caused, but were partially restrained and Tooru was tired of it. He wanted more of it. The slick pouring out of him slowed, but it coated both of their members and hands and everything between them. Iwaizumi was the first to thrust upwards with purpose, his hands gripping Tooru about the hips, pulling him down to meet him. 

The pressure against him grew tenfold with each, hard jerk upwards, and Tooru pressed back, the two of them eventually finding a rhythm with Iwaizumi's nose buried between his neck, teeth biting the juncture there. Somehow through the heavy feeling in his head, a different type of pressure brought upon by hazy clouds of pure delight, Tooru remembered to rest his forearms on either side of Iwaizumi's head, keeping the majority of his weight off the pirate. In the water, his tail swished and hit the rock below the water's surface, like an echo of the thrusts above. 

The clouds in Tooru's head weren't clearing up, only getting foggier and foggier as their thrusts were short and quick, pure pressure between them mounting from their members sliding and pressing against another. Iwaizumi's hand occasionally coming back and slicking itself by caressing them together, then spreading the lubrication across his scales as his hand would return to its position gripping his waist. Brief reprieves that had Tooru moaning, asking Iwaizumi to just keep going.

Tooru loved the grunts, growls, and soft moans that matched his, pairs each and of their own, surrounding them in a strange cacophony of lewd noises that managed to make the two of them forget they were out in the open, under the brightness of the moon. 

"Hajime," Tooru gasped for air, letting out a long moan when his pirate rubbed a sticky, wet finger over his nipple, then biting on his collarbone. It was Tooru now who was snapping his hips, using his tail to push him against his lover a little harder, a little higher. 

The moonlight broke through the clouds in Tooru's head, and beneath him Hajime's lips were swollen and red, his mouth slack as he drew in quick breaths, but his eyes were entirely focused on Tooru while his hand pulled out any and all of the last of his slick. 

Tooru smashed their mouths together, his hands grabbing at Hajime's cheeks. Entirely uncoordinated, but the pirate kept stroking them together until he felt a shiver roll through Hajime all the way to his lips against Tooru. Milky, white liquid much like Tooru's had burst forth from Hajime, a new coat over both of their abdomens, and Tooru wanted to taste. 

Moving down Hajime's body, a hand palming through the mess, Tooru lapped the slick off with his tongue above Hajime's erection that had yet to properly rest before slowly coaxing back to life.

A firm hand gripped his shoulder, a hand covered in white, wet and sticky, but firm nonetheless. When Tooru looked up, Hajime beckoned him to come closer. 

"As much..." Hajime was heaving for breath still and his raw voice made Tooru grin, a mischievous one this time. "As much as I would love for you to do that, this rock fucking hurts." 

Feeling a pout tugging at his lips, Hajime palmed his cheek, pressing their lips together in a soft kiss. "And really, if you get your cum all over me like that again, I think I'll drown before I ever land in the water." 

Nodding, he lifted himself off to let Iwaizumi shift into a more comfortable spot. When Iwaizumi opened his arms, Tooru lay back on his side once more, resting his head on Hajime's shoulder, just in the crook of the man's neck, pressing a quick kiss there. He was happy with what he received. It was more than he had ever hoped for, sooner than his deepest desires. Hajime had only been on the island for seven moons, and Tooru thought of what Koushi had said, about twenty years against twenty nights, but each night with Hajime felt like twenty seconds and twenty decades all at once. 

What else could it be, this feeling he always felt with Hajime, whether they were in the heights of rutted fervor or calmly laying side by side, catching breath? What else could the actions of a honorable pirate mean? 

Tooru flexed his tail some moments later. Using it to splash water on them, to both cool their skin and wash away the evidence of their prior engagement. After, they stayed in the same position, with Hajime's arm loosely wrapped around the back of Tooru. Slightly clawed fingers of one of the mer's hands splayed across Hajime's broad chest, careful not to scratch as it lazily designed patterns along the supple flesh of his ribs. 

He thought of their movements, the easy rhythm of their breathing, the odd way they kept themselves restrained and then let go. Tooru had no other answer for himself other than love, but as all his brothers reminded him, he was a mer, and Iwaizumi Hajime was a human. He knew from his explorations among port cities and trailing ships that a night of brief unity could mean nothing, just as it was among mers to flit together for temporary times. Except mers would forever hold a softness for those they intertwined with, Tooru had seen many humans part and never return without so much a word. 

The sight wasn't what Tooru imagined as love. 

"Hajime, what does love look like to you," he asked. It took him a couple of minutes to try and find the words he wanted to ask the pirate beside him, still in that restrained way of theirs. 

The grip on Tooru's shoulder loosened slightly as Hajime stiffened before his body relaxed underneath Tooru in a breath. 

"Did you know that Seijoh has several couples, beyond Noya and Asahi?" Hajime glanced at him before returning his gaze to the night sky. "It's actually a little strange, seeing how each couple expresses themselves. It's like each pair has their own language of love." 

The hand on his shoulder moved to Tooru's nearly dry hair, toying with the strands. "My parents' love was weird, they didn't talk much, but their movements always seemed to mirror each other. I think love has a million languages, made up by the people who are in it with someone else." 

Tooru snorted, though he held Hajime just a little tighter, cuddling closer if possible. "You're not making much sense, Iwa-chan." 

"I like it when you call me Hajime, Tooru-chan." Hajime grinned at him, meeting his gaze and holding it there. 

He raised his head a tad to kiss the pirate again. 

Tooru thought of splashes of water and names of affection, night time walks along the shore and the crashing of ships. The strange push and pull between their hesitation of twenty nights and confidence of twenty years, and he thought that maybe he and Hajime were creating their own language of love. 

"I like the language we have... Hajime," he murmured, closing his eyes, trying his best not to tense, knowing he pushed against the pull. 

"I do, too." 

Tooru felt the smile pressed into his hair, and he returned it against warm skin, knowing he had found his answer. 

 

**~~~~~~~~~~~**

 

It was the crunching of sand beneath hurried boots that brought the beginning of consciousness. He was struggling to breathe was what he first realized. Tooru's throat was dry, and his mouth tasted of sand. Blinking his eyes open, in the slits that were slowly allowing in bright light, he saw a hasty (or the attempt at hasty) retreating pirate who was caught. 

"Uh, uh... Captain?" Kageyama stuttered.

Iwaizumi bolted up, almost butting heads with Tooru when he caught the horrified gaze of his brother. The pirate next to him was quickly trying to button up his pants (it was put back on shortly before falling asleep next to Tooru on the rock but was a little too tired to care whether or not his dick was out for all to see). 

Tooru could care less at the moment, not a hint of embarrassment could be spared from him when he was desperate to get back into the water. Water that pulled farther out from the shore, its surface far down below in the tide pool. He had stupidly stayed out longer than he should have, and Tooru could feel some of his scales, now a translucent white color, were surely flaking off in some places. He pushed himself off the rock and down into the shallow pool, not enough to immerse him completely but it would do until the tide rolled back in. 

"Tooru!" Iwaizumi reached for him from above, looking about to get in the pool as well, no longer caring for his state. "Are you alright?"  

"It's the low tide, Iwa-chan, I just need to soak for a bit." His eyes flickered to the still petrified younger boy but wisely kept his gaze towards the trees. It almost made Tooru want to snort, the reality of the sight the boy must have seen stumbling upon them. "I think you should worry more about Tobio-chan over there." 

Iwaizumi's lips pressed into a firm line, the red tint of embarrassment returning from before as he side-glanced at his brother. 

"Go," Tooru motioned, knowing if Tobio was up, the others were soon to follow. 

Iwaizumi slid off the rock to stand upon the sand, quickly scooping up his boots and forgotten shirt. "Ah, Kageyama, was there something you needed or... ?"

The boy shook his head. "No, I actually came to talk to Tooru-senpai." 

"Oh, okay," Iwaizumi nodded, anxious to get away to change into new clothes on the ship, already walking in the ship's direction. "I'll leave you to it, then." 

Tooru narrowed his eyes at Tobio, his tail lazily swirling in the water. It was silent as he watched Tobio fidget with his fingers, almost afraid to step any closer.

"Spit it out, Tobio-chan. I need to get back into open water if I'm to get my scales back to its pretty color." Prettier than your eyes, he bites back, but he does flex his tail briefly out of the water to emphasize his point. 

"R-right. I just, I-I wanted to ask for your ..." Tobio mutters the last part, almost indistinguishable to even Tooru's mer ears, "advice." 

He didn't want to, he wanted to swim back out before the tide withdrew further, but Tobio was Iwaizumi's brother. He had to make some attempt to be closer, didn't he?

Sighing through his nose, he rolled his eyes. "If you want my help, Tobio-chan, you will need to speak up." 

"I would like your advice, please, Tooru-senpai." The boy steps a bit closer, step by step until he's near the rock Tooru had spent his night upon. "My brother, he... cares quite a lot what you think." 

Tooru perks up at this, his tail stilling from its lazy floating. 

"You'll be together, won't you?" 

"I..." Tooru licked at his wet mouth, annoyed at the indiscernible position Tobio put him in. If there was anyone who could possibly tell Iwaizumi to leave the mer, it would be him, the beloved and protected genius brother, but here he was, declaring all of Tooru's hopeful plans. "I hope so." 

Tobio only nods at this, continuing to fidget with his fingers, reluctant to meet Tooru's gaze. The boy steps back, about to mumble out a thank you, his body beginning to turn away. 

"Tell me." His voice cuts out the demand into the early morning air. A few birds fluttered out of the trees behind them. "That wasn't what you wanted to ask, tell me so I won't be annoyed that this was complete waste of time." 

"I wanted... to ask... Hinata..."

"You're not making sense. What? You want Shrimpy-chan? Just go kiss him, already." 

Honestly, Tooru huffed again, he felt like he was having the same conversation he had had with Kenma the morning prior. Where his youngest sibling shrugged noncommittally when Tooru pressed upon his progress with the messy headed human, Kuroo, apparently uncaring for love and only for understanding. Tooru had decided to leave Kenma alone soon after, knowing his brother traveled at his own pace. Tobio, however, clearly seemed unhappy with the pace he set from himself.

From his conversations with Iwaizumi, Tobio was nearly as young as Kenma, and he looked it too. But obviously, he was dumber than Tooru's brother. 

"But, nii-san... He'll," Tobio breathed deep. "He would be unhappy, if I woo Hinata. He won't... There won't be anyone to take over his ship after me, no one to carry on the family name. Nii-san says he doesn't care, but pirates are established by legacy and bloodline." 

Tooru felt his lips purse and he swam closer, taking in the youth of Tobio's deep blue eyes and soft skin. His expression was wide and earnest, the look of someone just entered into Maturitas but had yet to outgrow the ignorance of Nativitas. Someone who still looked for approval and guidance from his mentor but feeling the pull to stretch his fins (or in Tobio's case, legs). Kenma had discussed his curiosity that was conquering his caution each day with Tooru the day before, after all. Tooru never minded giving advice to his brother about love, either. 

His annoyance bristled like an itch just beneath the tip of his nose at the similarity between his brother and Iwaizumi's, at the matching position he would be required to fulfill, if he and Iwaizumi were to unify, but without the power. 

But, still... Tobio really was just as young as Kenma, and Tooru did pride himself in being a mentor to his brothers (and future brother, hopefully). 

"Tobio, ask Shrimpy-chan. Iwaizumi will not care, you of all people should know your own brother." He flicks a bit of water up at Tobio, pleased when a droplet hits the boy in the eye. 

"B-but... Would _you_ mind?" 

Tooru blinked, the question catching him off guard. He straightens his shoulders a bit more. "Why would you ask that?" 

"Well, you and nii-san, I'd need both your blessing since nii-san is Captain which makes you the ... other... " Tobio growls, kicking at the sand. "It's pirate law, and Hinata doesn't have any parents aboard." 

Tooru waited, arms crossed against his chest. 

Koushi's right. Humans are so odd. But another glance at Tobio's fidgeting fingers reminded him of Kenma's nimble actions when he braids hair, and this time, Tooru finds seeing the tendency not as annoying.

"The captain and his partner must approve of any union between two crew members. It's necessary if the two wish to... " Tooru watches the boy grit his teeth and garble the last word, "marry."  

Tooru lets out another irritated huff of air, more at the stupid request and strange pirate law than, dare he admit, the endearing tug on his heart. At, possibly, becoming close with Iwaizumi's brother who respected him enough to ask for something so important to him.

"Tobio-chan," he starts out strong, but drops any and all sharp bite from his tone, "I do not mind. Ask Hinata, ask him today. Love is too important to let go."   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I present to you (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ INTERSPECIES SEX ✧ﾟ･: *ヽ(◕ヮ◕ヽ) 
> 
> Hope it was good, and that you all enjoyed, since it may or may not be the only smut scene we see here in this fic. (I can't write smut lol.) 
> 
> Still sticking to the monthly update thing, which is great because I've been fixing lots of plot issues before posting. After this chapter, we will be entering the last two arcs!
> 
> Thank you to everyone who keeps supporting this fic and me! All of you are so incredibly kind! The oddest things motivate me, too, so feel free to leave aggressive-aggressive messages telling me to hurry my ass up because, oh boy, I get /lazy/. 
> 
> @ima_person your "Waiting for Chapter 9" bookmark was honestly so hilariously motivating, I can't thank you enough for the simple nudge lol. 
> 
>  
> 
> **Thank you again, you're all so wonderful to me, and I can't begin to express how much it means to me!**


	10. though my love is rare; I'll only fly away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bokuto is trying his best. 
> 
> And, unsurprisingly, mers are more of a help than humans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New tags: 
> 
> Mild/Minor Animal Violence and Gore
> 
> Character Injury 
> 
> There is a particular scene in here, towards the end, that might have you scrunching your nose at the inaccuracy, but I promise there is a method to my madness. 
> 
> Last chapter brought this fic up to 200 kudos and 2000 views! Thank you everyone!

"You ready?"

Bokuto snapped the tiny book in his hands closed and hopped out of his hammock. Already dressed, his boots landed with a thud on the wooden floor of the hull. He hoped Kuroo didn't hear the creak that sounded as a result.

Hesitating, he glanced at his best friend, gauging for the twitch Kuroo got in his eye when there was a loose board. Bokuto only saw the slight tug of lips Kuroo had been wearing whenever it was them alone, but the look seemed to soften when he noticed the book in Bokuto's hands.

It was a hard read, and not one of the latest Kuroo bought, one he should have read. The book was thinner than his thumb, slightly taller than the palm of his hand, filled with scientific jargon Bokuto didn't entirely understand, but he liked it. At least the letters weren't too tiny for him and strained his eyes. Bokuto stuffed it into his bag with the rest of his instruments.

He thought Keiji would like it, too.

Bokuto nodded his excitement, grin wide despite the odd tension between them. Kuroo gestured for him to follow as they debarked the ship and trudged through the sand. Bokuto waved and shouted a greeting at the others who slept on the beach (mostly out of their tents because they were too drunk from the night before and just collapsed), disregarding the glares he received. If Noya was up, it couldn't have been _too_ early.

He wasn't sure what it was, but Bokuto felt as though he was thrumming, like the atoms he read about were vibrating within him at a higher intensity than usual. He had woken right before pale lavender trails began leaving the sky (when he was usually one of the last to wake), mopped the deck (a chore he hated normally), and even read one of Kuroo's books. Bokuto felt productive with the pent up energy but entirely unfulfilled. As though he drank four cups of coffee on a boring day with nothing to do, but he had plenty to do. He had more instruments he rarely used that he was going to play for Keiji, a new book to show Keiji, and his hair would be cut and he would show it to Keiji for approval. All of these things to be done later in the day, closer to evening.

Maybe that's why he was full of nervous energy; it had been a while since his last haircut.

"Good morning, Kenma!" He shouted as he had been all morning when they neared the young mer who was hoisting himself out of the water.

He missed the sharp glare and annoyed swish until Kuroo elbowed him in the side. "Too early for that, Bo."

But it seemed Bokuto wasn't too intent on listening to Kuroo that day either, throwing down his satchel with a crash on the rocks and sitting down to dip his feet into the pool next to Kenma's tail, perhaps a bit too close.

"Sorry, Kenma!" He shouted in the mer's ear before scooting away.

He also missed the pointed look Kenma sent Kuroo, only catching Kuroo's shrug, and so he thought everything was fine.

"You know the drill, Bo." Kuroo pointed at the water for him to dunk his head. "Tell me how you want it."

"Uh, short?" Bokuto did know the drill, and generally the drill consisted of several minutes debating how to cut his hair. He never knew, never had a clear picture, and so he gave Kuroo a starter and let the other do whatever to his hair. He glanced at Kenma's long hair floating in the water, glad his hair never reached that length. He wouldn't know what to do with it.

Kenma tugged Kuroo's pant leg once Bokuto dunked his head in the water. Through the gurgle of water swirling around his brain, he could faintly hear:

"I can work with that."

 

**~~~~**

 

"I'll return," Kenma announced before dipping back into the water and escaping the pool before either of the two humans could say a word.

_You're quiet when he's around._

Bokuto had just finished rinsing his long hair in the pool while Kuroo sharpened the shears. He had rambled for a good five minutes with Kenma, asking about his day and telling him about the weird buzzing he felt underneath his skin. At multiple intervals, he left space for Kuroo to add onto a joke, only to find the other didn't rise to the occasion.

Kuroo hummed.

In some ways, Bokuto had hoped spending time with Kuroo's new beloved, showing his openness to the mer, would ease some of the discord between them. It was the longest there had ever been a strain between the two. Bokuto hated it, particularly when their distance was not concealed by others around them. He shouldn't have been surprised, however, when he didn't speak of Keiji to Kuroo often and frequently chose the company of Hinata instead during their daily tasks.

Bokuto stared at the empty rock Kenma once occupied while Kuroo moved closer to start parting his hair. _'I'll return'_ was all the mer said, and Bokuto wondered if there was an added _'when he leaves'_ in there that could only be heard by Kuroo.

His skin tightened, but his mind became an empty canvas. The bustling atoms slowed. He managed enough energy to motion at the horizon with a lazy flick of the wrist. "Does he not like me?"

"Kenma?" The shears paused in Kuroo's hand.

Bokuto's hands fisted; he was trying and failing at upholding the promises they made as children. He had thought he could honor the wishes expected of him as a best friend in his adulthood, to be open and accepting and happy for one another's discovery in love.

"It's your volume," Kuroo lined strands of hair between his fingers to make the first cut, "but if you're thinking he left because of you, it's not true."

"Kenma likes to listen, at least that's what I've noticed." He continued snipping away, damp strands falling to the rocks.

Bokuto frowned in confusion, turning his head just before Kuroo could take another chop.

"Not to us, but out there," his best friend waved at the horizon, arm outstretched and hand holding the shears still. "He's listening to the ocean, and your volume distracts him from that."

"Why didn't you tell me, then?" A bold stroke of maroon wiped across the empty canvas. He could have been more mindful, he could have done more for Kenma to like him with that information. He knew his voice was too much for others, though it was never a problem on the ship, and he knew his words weren't always perfect, but he could have _tried_.

"Why would I?" Kuroo returned to his work. "I never tell you that type of thing. I already warned Kenma about it. You probably exceeded his expectations is all. Though, you were pretty off the walls this morning... It's fine, Bokuto."

It was the most words Kuroo had said to him in a week,if they weren't orders or requests. He would take what he could get, even if it was given with a frustrated emphasis based on familiarity with his disposition.

Bokuto breathed out a stream of air, expelling every carbon molecule, and attempted to be still again.

"Is he coming back?"

"He said so, didn't he?"

 

**~~~~**

 

The two of them sat in silence as more and more pieces of white hair fell to the ground. Multiple times, Bokuto thought of something to say other than the two words he knew Kuroo hated to hear.

"'I'm sorry' never solves a damn thing," is what he always said,"especially if you keep doing the thing you're sorry for."

And that was precisely Bokuto's problem, he kept doing it. He kept resisting and evading the topic of his expected schooling. The atoms in his skin rolled in unease.

"There, I think it's done." Kuroo mussed his hair, and Bokuto had to admit he missed the feeling, especially when his fingers lingered, pulling up white strands in between.

Bokuto could feel the breeze sifting through the space created by Kuroo's -- now gone -- fingers. His head felt lighter; he hadn't realized the weight his thick hair had been pressing upon his neck.

Shaking his hair, loving the breeze it created around him, he grinned at his best friend who was wearing a signature smirk. "We better get going soon. I'm sure Iwaizumi is up by now, so take a look."

Cool glass was pressed into his palm. Kuroo moved to lean over the water to rinse off the shears while Bokuto looked at the white and grey strands in the mirror, sticking up from the water and showing his darker roots. They didn't have time to dye his hair today (Bokuto was once again reminded of how he had intruded on Kenma's and Kuroo's time), and he wasn't sure when they'd be able to buy his color again. After all, they did buy it off of some random peddler that one time, not sure if it would have worked in the first place.

Green flew at his face. He completely failed to protect himself, throwing up his hand two seconds too late, and he felt slight pricks hit his cheek.

Bokuto stared at the offending objects that had landed in his lap. They were strange stalks, shaped like a thicker leaf of a palm tree, oozing from where it was cut. His hands were still frozen near his face, but slowly he moved when he discovered the plant was not moving of its own accord.

Behind him, he could hear Kuroo stifling a snicker. He whipped his head around to glare at Kuroo, but his surprise returned when he faced forward again and came face to face with Kenma.

"Kenma! You're back!" His grin returned and the tightly packed molecules in him began to vibrate again... until he noticed Kenma's slight wince. He tried harder, like he had promised, like he had done when he saw the same reaction with Keiji, if not more extreme this time. 

"Sorry," he tried to whisper, straining his voice to be soft yet still loud enough. "You're back!"

"Use this," was all Kenma said in response, looking at Kuroo before picking up one of the green things from its landing spot. He held it up in front of Bokuto's nose. " _Viride_ , it's good for making hair stay where you wish it. I use it on Keiji often." His nimble, but strong, fingers ripped apart the top layer of the plant's skin. Bokuto felt his eyes widening again as he watched Kenma use a sharp nail to cut off a piece from its jelly center and then squish the piece between his palms.

"Uh... Why are we doing this?"

Kenma blinked at him, his hands which were on its way to Bokuto's hair, reaching out of the water with his whole torso. Bokuto leaned forward to compensate the distance. He only received a blank, mildly annoyed, expression in answer. 

Small hands dove into Bokuto's hair, pulling on the strands a bit roughly. Bokuto had to bite his lip to avoid grimacing.

"So braids aren't the only thing you know how to do with hair," Kuroo laughed beside them.

With their faces close, Bokuto could see the slight pout and almost withered glare when Kenma shifted his eyes briefly to look at Kuroo. He couldn't help but giggle a little. "He think he's smart, but he's really dumb. He's really easy to embarrass, too."

Another blink, and Bokuto thought Kenma was going to smile. The mer didn't, returning to cut another piece of the plant and tell Bokuto to dip his head lower so he could reach the strands in the back.

"Again," Bokuto grimaced when the full brunt of blood rushed to his head and another harsh tug, "why are we doing this ?"

Kenma leaned forward, reaching for a lock of hair near his ear, and whispered:

"Keiji's favorite bird is an owl." 

 

**~~~~~~~~**

 

For the first time in over a week, they were working together again. Completely without a nudge from Iwaizumi (who had arrived later than they did for once), but perhaps a bit out of necessity. It may have been because though Kuroo was taller, their strength was equal, and their communication was flawless, nearly. 

Bokuto thought the morning was turning out good again. Even though sweat tinged with plant glue dripped down his face, its hold loosening, and they worked in near silence. Bokuto allowed himself to smile as he watched Kuroo swing the heavy axe against the thick trunk. They were getting about a quarter of the way in whereas Daichi and Iwaizumi were nearing half on theirs some ways over. 

"They're almost done," he muttered low, afraid the wind would pick up his words as passengers, and kept his eyes trained on the other team. 

He didn't bother to look behind him, knowing Tanaka and Asahi had just begun theirs. 

"You fucking kidding?" Kuroo relaxed his grip on his axe after a particularly hard swing, resting its top against the ground. "They started after us." 

Bokuto hoisted up his own tool and nestled it between his hands to find the right position. He gripped the staff tightly, and Kuroo turned his back to see the truth for himself. 

He raised the axe high above his right shoulder, and then brought it down in an arc. 

"Oi, Captain," Kuroo shouted, hands cupping his mouth. "I couldn't sleep last night. I heard these really strange sounds coming from the beach? It just wouldn't stop!" 

Mid-swing, Bokuto faltered. The axe dropped, all of its weight fully bringing it to the ground from his suddenly loose grip while he stuffed a snicker. After his session with Kenma, Bokuto had orders to retrieve tools from the ship, and thus, was one of the lucky (but also slightly mortified) ones to witness the messy Iwaizumi who rushed to his quarters. He wasn't quite sure what had caused Iwaizumi's hurry until he caught Kageyama repeatedly scrubbing his eyes with salt water some minutes later. 

"Maybe it was some weird mating call? Kageyama did see something this morning, maybe some strange animals? He looked rather green." 

Iwaizumi swung perfectly, Bokuto could hear the blade sing through the air, and while he couldn't see it clearly, they could both feel the mild embarrassment emanating from Iwaizumi's aura float towards them. 

Bokuto got back to swinging. If Iwaizumi didn't stop, he couldn't either. 

"Leave the man alone, Kuroo." Daichi fixed up his own sleeves, getting ready to take over Iwaizumi's place, but not without rolling his eyes. 

 _"Dadchi's is having none of your shit today."_ Bokuto sang the tune the crew created, a bit out of breath, as he wiped at his face with the back of his forearm.  

Bokuto was glad Kenma had given him a few extra stalks of the Viride to fix up his hair again. He rather liked the style Kenma had given him.

"Don't be upset with our dear old skipper, Daichi. Not everyone has the self-control you do. Some of us can't control our impulses. Like this guy over here." Kuroo jabbed his thumb at Bokuto.

His brow twitched at the tone. 

"Hey hey hey. I am _not_ that impulsive!" Bokuto handed Kuroo the axe after he had done his number of sets. 

"Like hell you aren't, or would you prefer I called you obsessed? You do spend every moment with him." 

"Kuroo." 

Bokuto waved Daichi's admonishment off, wanting to hear what his best friend had to say. Their earlier merriment was slipping, highlighted by each bite in Kuroo's words. He never did enjoy being on the receiving end of his best friend's cutting sass. 

"If you're not working, you're somewhere in the forest with him." Kuroo struck the wood, a new spot that splintered farther. "What do you two do the whole time? Me and Kenma? We talk for an hour and then nap, _in the open_." 

He frowned. Keiji was not always at the pools, he mostly went to play his music or read... and hope Keiji would show. 

"We talk, like you and Kenma do about 'mer secrets'." He quoted a phrase he heard Kenma mutter that morning.

"Oh, please. That's just something Kenma says when he's preoccupied and doesn't want to explain something." 

Daichi sighed at them, apparently forgotten and so was their little contest, backing away and returning to where Iwaizumi was waiting. 

"He asks about us, humans and whatnot. Nothing important. What does it even matter to you?"

Kuroo swung hard twice before resting the axe by his foot, he blew out a breath while Bokuto crossed his arms, unable to resist pouting. "Just... don't you think it's a little odd? It's been a week and none of us, except you, has seen him. He sticks close by in the water, but he never comes close enough. If anything, it's like... like a shark circling its prey." 

"You're not making any sense. You don't say that about Kenma, or Tooru, or Koushi, and they're nearby all the time." 

Kuroo gave a frustrated noise from the back of his throat, scratching his hair despite the gloves. "The other mers are fine, but don't you think Keiji's behavior is a little hostile?" 

"I don't know! I mean, sure, he's a little cold sometimes, but he's not trying to hurt anyone. He likes talking to me, and I don't know what I did to gain his trust or whatever, because he doesn't... he doesn't..." Bokuto rambled but then shut his mouth when none of his words were helping. 

"He doesn't what, like humans?" 

"No," Bokuto felt a stubborn flare in him, that familiar tightening of his skin, a reaction he never had with his best friend. "He's just not sociable."

"Anti-social." Kuroo mouthed the word before pinching the bridge of his nose. "Kenma is literally the shyest creature I have ever met, and he still comes around. "  

Unsure how to respond, Bokuto didn't answer but he adjusted his gloves to start his reps again. Each pull of leather spoke with an attitude plainly saying he was over the topic. 

"You're doing it again, Koutarou."

He stiffened.

Bokuto always fell in love a little too easily. He loved in all ways, and at times, he felt as though he loved everyone and everything with a sudden intensity. That wasn't true, he knew, because there were plants and places and people he held in little regard. The list of all the things he didn't like was quite long. His love was quick, abrupt, and simple. Someone or something would catch his eye, and he was lost again in one of the many facets of affection. It happened  with Kuroo, and when it happened in romance, it more often than not got him into trouble... mostly with Kuroo. 

He struck the trembling trunk before lacing his exhausted confusion into his next words. "Where is this coming from? I thought we were doing good." 

Kuroo's eye twitched. "You still refuse to talk about it, I wouldn't say that's us 'doing good'." 

He opened his mouth. 

"And you're trying to change the subject." Kuroo's hooded eyes narrowed further, a rare sight done in anger. "Your head's anatomically above your heart for a reason, Bokuto. Think things through for once."

Bokuto kept swinging, letting the silence thicken. He was tired of fighting with Kuroo. 

Nothing ever seemed to make sense. 

 

**~~~~~~~~**

 

More than sunlight filtered through the surface, and it reached Keiji's ears where he rested in his cavern. 

Bokuto was here. 

Keiji didn't want to greet him yet, preferring to listen. The pitches and chords sounded slightly distorted as they traveled through the liquid medium to reach Keiji. He liked it this way, though. The melody was clearer, sweeter, closer to a mer song -- something Keiji didn't think a human instrument was capable of producing. Bokuto was playing the stringed instrument again. His favorite. Somehow the oblivious pirate managed to realize Keiji cared little for the drums, always starting off his visit with a smooth tune. 

Tunes which reminded Keiji of the ones Koushi, and perhaps someone else, used to sing. Koushi still sang, of course. It was Keiji who began to swim away from the sound. The previous night was no exception, as the humans' singing garbled the tone of the mers'. 

Here, though, beneath the surface, in his dark cavern, Keiji could listen for as long as he wanted in peace. Sometimes, if Bokuto visited in the early mornings, Keiji would never break the surface to greet him. Keiji had snorted when he heard of this false 'mer secret' trick Kenma had been using. However, if there was such a thing, Bokuto's music was close to emulating it. 

However, in the afternoons that stretched into the early evenings, Keiji found himself propelling forward to listen at the edge of the stone barrier between them until the song stopped and Bokuto opened his eyes. 

The current melody ended, and so Keiji drifted upwards, bracing himself for Bokuto's enthusiastic greetings. 

He didn't get one. Instead, he found Bokuto with his feet in the pool, completely still, as he twisted the knobs of his instrument. 

"Keiji, you're here." The pirate's smile was thin-lipped, with the briefest flash of teeth and shortest of eye contact before focusing again on the strings. 

There was the slightest sheen of glistening sweat to the pirate's dark skin, as there normally was after a day of doing work along the island. Stray beads still clung to the edges of Bokuto's face, he noticed, as he watched one recede into the hairline. Keiji hadn't been able to see the crew at all today when he circled along the shore. He had known they would be in the forest, far from his sight, but it still agitated him. 

Bokuto, however, was becoming less of an annoyance... slightly. If anything, Keiji was growing familiar with the pirate's presence, his songs, and unruly hair. 

He squinted at Bokuto, trying to discern what was troubling the pirate this time and so early into their meeting. The normally chatty human said nothing else, and while silences between them weren't entirely infrequent, it had never felt so empty. Whether he was shuffling his bare feet in the water, wringing his hands, or humming, Bokuto's restless energy occupied the every minute amount of space around him.  

He waited for some moments. Keiji once wished for silences like these when they first met, he figured he should cherish it now that it was here. He tapped his claws, though, as his eyes scanned the treeline in case one of the other humans intruded. 

The leaves rustled. Immediately, his attention was drawn to the disturbance, expecting it to be along the soil until he glanced upwards. High in the canopy, was a horned owl with bronze moons for eyes,its tufted feathers and large brows stared down at him. Keiji recognized the familiar creature and returned his attention back to Bokuto who had finally shifted. 

"Bokuto?" He was tired of waiting.

The other raised his head, tilted in confused response. It was then Keiji noticed the lack of flopping, thick hair. Instead, short, stiff strands took its place, baring Bokuto's eyes brighter than before. 

"You look odd." He extended his fingers in an offhand gesture to Bokuto's head. 

Keiji was too honest, occasionally. It was something Tooru complained about often. 

Bokuto's grin returned despite Keiji's near insult. The pirate pointed at the top of his head, practically jabbing the standing strands. "Isn't it neat? Kenma gave me this plant this morning to get it like this, and Kuroo cut my hair." 

Keiji noticed the tips of Bokuto's smile quiver once. He felt his eyes narrow further before scoffing, sinking back into the water. It was that name again, _Kuroo_ , the human Bokuto talked most about. Usually to complain. 

He simply waved at Bokuto to continue with his story even though he had slightly turned away and the top of his white head was barely visible. 

 _Kuroo, Kuroo, Kuroo_. Keiji had spent each and every day with Bokuto for the past several days. While he had ceased his covert interrogations to allow the information Bokuto gave flow freely, the conversations began to center around one of the other pirates. It would be false to say Keiji had not come to tolerate these conversations and Bokuto's proximity or that he was carefully content to watch the pirates at a distance. However, if he could pick one human that he despised more than the rest, it was this _Kuroo_.

Bokuto let out a long, drawn out sigh. "He said I 'never want to talk about it', as if he --" 

"If he would give you some actual say in the matter." Keiji could understand.

"He's... He just won't ..." Bokuto shook his head and put away his strings. 

While he rummaged in that leather satchel of his, Keiji observed his hair. 

Kenma had given him the Viride. 

Keiji was more surprised that his brother had helped at all, and his involvement could only be because of this Kuroo. Keiji tapped his claws against the rock, scratching slightly at its surface. If he wasn't hearing about Kuroo from Bokuto, he was hearing the name from the youngest mer. He could still recall the happy escape of air Kenma gave when he had returned to their shared dwelling, murmuring about killing his hair the night before. The wistful way Kenma said the name _Kuroo_ had caused Keiji to leave their cave and return here ... only to be reminded of the pirate that annoyed him through others once again. 

If he had thought Bokuto was a buffoon before, he was sure this Kuroo was worse.

Bokuto took out a pair of wooden things. Keiji wasn't sure what they were, but inside, they shook. Tiny pebbles battered against the wooden, spherical walls, and Bokuto held the strange things by its handles. 

"I know you're not fond of percussion instruments, but these are tons of fun! Kyoutani gave em to me." He shook the things before offering one to Keiji. " _Maracas_  is what he called them. Do you wanna try one?" 

He had noticed his expressions around Bokuto became more apparent in these latter days, though they were small things, like the way he scrunched his nose a tad at Bokuto's extended hand. 

"You should tell him what it is you really want. You don't wish to go, so don't." 

He was tired of Bokuto's complaints, they reminded him of the ones he, himself, never voiced. 

But Keiji and Bokuto had different predicaments. 

The pirate continued to shake his maracas, but without rhythm. His lips were pursed. The tension in his face pulled at his hairline, making the strands stick up closer. 

"I'm not sure what I want, Keiji." Bokuto had stopped to stare at him now. Bright gaze searching his face, and Keiji wasn't sure why. "I get it, ya know? Kuroo made me a promise, and he's the type of guy to keep those, but... things are different now."

Keiji bit back his tongue. To him, it was obvious the pirate did not wish to go wherever it was Kuroo wanted him to attend. Yet, the pirate continued to make excuses for his friend.  

Bokuto put down the spheres and rested his elbows on his knees. Hunched over, his gaze belonged to the reflection in the pool. Those big brows of his, expressive as his eyes, told Keiji he was searching for words. 

The pirate had made excuses, changed subjects, and while he held no piece of knowledge from Keiji, he did skip over the finer details. Bokuto had never expressed _why_ , and Keiji had never asked. 

He felt too aware, the empty silence still lingering, and for once, he felt the water like a second skin. It felt... cool, all around him, down to his tail. It was not like the cold of breaking the surface or the deep caves he frequented, not the kind he loved. All of this amplified by Bokuto's strange behavior. 

It annoyed Keiji, but it was quickly forgotten when Bokuto spoke again -- even if he sounded defeated.   

"I'm old, Keiji. Too old. I've never been to school, and he wants me to compete against kids half my age. I'm too late. But..." 

"You want to go, you're just afraid." Keiji murmured, more to himself. 

He had been wrong. Bokuto and Keiji's predicament was different, but he foolishly thought they had shared similar sentiments. Bokuto had an opportunity, Keiji had a duty. It enraged him, made him shift in annoyance, and it must have been evident on his face.  

Bokuto shook his head, frantic, putting up his palms and shaking those too. 

"No, no! I mean, yes, but... I'm just... Happy. With where I am right now. I don't, I don't need to go to school to learn how to draw fancy maps. I would like to learn, but... my rough sketches seem to be fine for Iwaizumi. I don't need to go. And... and... and, I think I want to... I think I like it here --" His plump lip, fuller than his top, was chewed upon, and his gaze had dropped back to the reflective water. "I mean, I like the way it is, right now. He just doesn't understand that." 

Like the birds he envied, Bokuto was free. Keiji was not. 

Still, Keiji softened as he watched Bokuto withdraw into himself. A sight even he was uncomfortable watching. 

Wings fluttered above them, and again, Keiji caught the gaze of the all seeing owl. When he was younger, he had longed to be like the birds who flew over the sea, from tree to tree. He had wanted wings to go wherever he wanted, to do all the things he couldn't when he was trapped by the sea. It was his home, yes, but he had longed for more than the ocean, than the earth around them. He had wanted the sky. 

Over time, these thoughts waned. Keiji had long accepted his role and eventual fate. It had also grown clear he was the only of his brothers who shared this sentiment, and he was afraid to speak it to them. They, who loved their goddess and the descendants of her lover. 

If the Sea Mother ever knew the thoughts in his mind, well, it wasn't as if she could make his life any worse once the pirates set sail.   

The longer he stared at the white, downy feathers of the owl's wing, the more Keiji furrowed his brow. His brief brooding was pushed aside in favor of the puzzle he was becoming increasingly aware of. 

Grey and black feathers around the owl's metallic eyes stood out when its gaze hit the sunlight. Keiji flicked to and back from Bokuto and the owl.  

The resemblance was... uncanny, and he was slightly stunned to have missed it. 

It was as though the owl had swooped down and transformed into the human right in front of him. 

"Kenma helped you with your hair, you said?" 

Bokuto glanced up, startled after hearing nothing from Keiji for the past few minutes, but he nodded. Then, he began to ramble on about his meeting with Keiji's brother that morning. Most likely, he was thankful for the change in subject, pouring more enthusiasm into the conversation than he had all day.

It appeared Kenma, too, had fallen for Tooru's idealized rhetoric. 

He pushed off from the rock he leaned upon, unable to withhold his vexation with his brother. With everything, really. 

Pausing before swimming out of the pool, he turned back to Bokuto. He sighed through his nose and with his shoulders. Bokuto, for all that he created and fueled Keiji's aggravation, had done nothing to earn a brush off from Keiji. 

"I'm going hunting. Did you," he wasn't sure if this was a bright idea, but his rationality was worn, "want to come with?"

 

**~~~~~~~~**

 

Bokuto loved animals, fish included, but that was an established fact among the crew. They never asked him to join their hunting parties when in a new land. They never teased him either when he puked the one time they did. 

Especially when he was a small child, Bokuto clung to whatever stray pup or kitten that passed his way and cried when they died in his arms because he never had the capability to care for animals then, just the scraps he should have eaten himself. 

A cat  brought him to Kuroo one night. He had been chasing the black feline through the alleyways, and when he finally caught her, Kuroo was waiting. 

But he could eat meat just fine, usually taking the largest portion of grilled meat among them, either to their dismay or amusement. Kuroo said he had a bonding problem, that he attached himself to quickly to animals he came across -- even if their hackles were raised and teeth and claws bared. That's what made it a problem, Kuroo said, because Bokuto would still try to go near a feral dog or cat. 

He's not sure why he had agreed to come watch Keiji hunt, considering previous attempts to view hunting parties and none of the experiences leaving him with much appetite. However, he wanted to know the mer, all of him, even the parts that made him squirm. Bokuto understood why people hunted. It didn't ease the shivers that went through him whenever he saw a bloodied animal being dragged towards camp, though. 

Plus, he was hoping that since Keiji would be hunting underwater, he wouldn't have to see as much. 

Small steps, he thought, small steps to easing his discomfort by simply being there. 

He was not counting on Keiji's hunting ground to be within in the thick of sharp rocks the mers called the Alopias. But Bokuto was more surprised that Keiji compromised, hunting on the edges of the region, just barely inside them where the rocks were slightly spread out and his rowboat could rock gently without immediate danger. 

Resting the oar inside the small boat, Bokuto picked up his shamishen while waiting for Keiji to resurface every so often. The mer had watched him take the rowboat from the ship, unamused by Bokuto's wide grin and surprised by his stealth. 

 "Iwaizumi's captain and all, but sometimes, he really hates it when you take a rowboat. Something to do with deserting 'em," he had told Keiji. 

He was still tuning his instrument, plucking so often to find a note he hasn't heard or played in some time. But then a white, sharp bone tapped against the edge of the boat, and Bokuto yelped in surprise when green eyes followed to peer at him. 

Keiji's dark hair was matted down, framing the shape of his brows, highlighting his nose. The initial fear melted into excited delight as Bokuto stared. Daichi could shove off somewhere else, Keiji was the most beautiful mer and Bokuto would fight him on that. 

Heat flushed up his neck in embarrassment for his thoughts and for staring longer than he probably should have, another bad trait of his. 

"Bokuto," Keiji's voice was a muted rumble, "your playing is disrupting the fish." Another tap by the bone head, though now Bokuto could clearly see what it was. He had never seen it with Keiji before. 

"Sorry, Keiji," he squeaked out, hoping his voice was as quiet as he was trying to be. "Um, nice spear?" 

Bokuto knew silence was necessary for hunting, yet another reason why he couldn't handle the act and perhaps truly why the rest of the crew never invited him. Still, he didn't think that the sound of his plucking would travel beneath the water. He would do as Keiji asked, however, recalling Kenma's sensitive ears. Bokuto winced at the memory of upsetting Kenma, and he hoped the other mer would be forgiving after his argument again with Kuroo today.

Wordlessly, Keiji sank back into the water and Bokuto leaned over the boat's side to watch the mer descend and disappear quickly in the dark water. 

 

**~~~~**

 

Bokuto hadn't brought a book with him, and he was sorely regretting it. He had to be doing _something_. 

He couldn't, though, because he might disturb Keiji's hunting, _again_. Bokuto didn't want to do that, didn't want his volume, his persona, to be catalyst for another mer to dislike him. Though Bokuto was hoping Kenma didn't hate him, as Kuroo had promised. 

He was fidgeting when Keiji took longer to resurface, and he jumped again when a fish was thrown into his rowboat and began to flop everywhere. The silver scales reflected in the setting sun, wiggling itself to death. When Bokuto finally tore his eyes away, he only caught a flash of Keiji who was already diving back under. 

Keiji reappeared sooner and quicker after the first fish, dumping more and more fish at a time. With each drop, Bokuto scooted farther away to the other end of the rowboat, clutching his instrument. He couldn't stop watching though, despite the horror in his eyes and the grimace pulling at his skin. The fish were just there. No longer flopping, some of them speared through by Keiji. 

Each time, Keiji would stare at him. Each time for a bit longer, and Bokuto knew it was because of the unease he had shown. 

He should close his eyes, turn the other way. There was no point in staring at the dead fish. 

But he would still smell it, still hear it, still see the image of three fish sliding off Keiji's spear with ease behind his eyelids. He wanted to see this, though, not because of Keiji or Kuroo, but because he needed to get over this strange phobia of his. For god's sake, he's shot humans before and watch the blood spill out of them. Open eyed fish on the floor of a rowboat should not be a problem. He was nearing thirty; he wasn't a child anymore. 

He really wished he took his own advice when he watches Keiji pop up next, a large fish lodged between his sharp teeth and green eyes glowing with the thrill of the hunt. When Keiji spits out the fish, Bokuto sees the hint of a smirk... and he likes this smirk, in the back of his mind. Then he's distracted seeing the smallest bits of blood and lost scales at the edges of Keiji's mouth, and then that mouth is turning into a disapproving frown the longer they both stare. 

"Bokuto," he could hear the bite, the oncoming accusation, "why did you agree to come here if it displeases you?" 

"I-I'm fine!" He squeaked out, fingers tightening on his shamishen until his knuckles turned white. Of course, Keiji notices and his green eyes narrow further. 

"Leave, it clearly does disturb you." 

"B-but, I don't..." 

An exasperated sigh reaches his ears, but he sees Keiji tap a claw on the edge of the rowboat. Bokuto holds out for a bit of hope. 

"I am almost done. Do you think you can handle it a bit longer?" 

"Yes," he answers, immediately, because when Keiji's expression softens even just the tiniest bit, Bokuto can't seem to say no. 

Not that he could in the first place. 

 

**~~~~**

 

Keiji is beneath the surface for some time, but it doesn't feel like the endless periods before when Bokuto was bored out of his mind. Now, he had something to think about, grinning while waiting. 

He finally turned away from the fish in the boat, shoving their presence to his mind's side, focusing more on the gaze Keiji had sent him. It wasn't an unfamiliar look, but it was, perhaps, the first time he saw it grace Keiji's features. It was a look been thrown his way his whole life, the What-Will-I-Do-With-You look, but laced with fondness and not annoyance. Iwaizumi and Daichi wore that look often. Kuroo, too, when it was just the two of them. 

It was a strange thrill, to see Keiji in his true realm. While Keiji had mentioned that the other mers did hunt, it was Keiji's main designation and Bokuto had obviously learned why today. 

His atoms were thrumming again, he couldn't wait to get back to the island and their little oasis. Bokuto wanted to ask Keiji a million questions of why the mers hunted. After all, Bokuto had always understood better if someone explained things to him, and he felt as though Keiji wouldn't mind answering his questions after he had seen that expression cross Keiji's face. 

He wanted to know more of Keiji, really know him beyond the monotonous or annoyed remarks he gave while Bokuto was the one who just rambled on and on. Briefly, he wondered if this was how Kuroo felt when learning with Kenma. Bokuto wasn't generally the inquisitive one between the two of them, not in the way Kuroo was. He always pondered _why_ whereas Bokuto wondered _how._

Keiji, with his green eyes alight with thrill from sinking in his teeth into another animal, made Bokuto shiver... but the longer he sat there in his rowboat, he came to grasp that the shiver was partly derived from exhilaration. Excitement from seeing the intense look, and Bokuto could see it in other (less disturbing) situations between the two of them. 

Bokuto had to stop himself from that line of thought, feeling heat in his ears even though no one could see him. He didn't want to disrespect Keiji like that, but Bokuto had to admit, it wasn't the first time he had to stop himself. 

Instead, he focused on the sinking sun, just before it began to set. It was towards the end of the hottest part of the day, and Bokuto was glad. He could feel his muscles were tired, particularly in his shoulders, but being with Keiji -- he tended to focus more on their time together than the soreness of his muscles with revitalizing energy that had coursed through him the entire day. 

The world hadn't begun to sunk into a tangerine haze just yet, the light still blinding if Bokuto tried searching farther with his eyes. 

Out in the distance, he could see the tall boulders reach out of the sea. Some were a great distance, only the sharp tips visible, like the peaks of mountains above clouds. Against the bright sun, they appeared pitch black, a void in the joint between sky and sea. His eyes tried to measure just how far the Alopias reached towards the sun until they settled on three peaks, so small Bokuto mistook them for dots dancing along his vision. He had been looking into the latent brightness of the day for some time now. 

They weren't dancing, however, Bokuto knew that and so he attempted to look past them, to see if there were more, but his gaze returned to the last three peaks. 

They were bigger now, closer, and Bokuto had to scrub at his eyes to ensure he wasn't just seeing things. 

He wasn't. 

The peaks were moving, _racing_ towards... towards _them,_ towards Bokuto in his small rowboat and Keiji in the waters beneath it.  

Were they whales? Dolphins? Bokuto was mentally hoping, but dread filled his chest instead because Bokuto knew animals, whether it be on land or sea. The moment his rational mind ceased falsely hoping and recognized the truth that those peaks were sharks... Keiji flew out of the water, meeting the predators halfway in path towards the rowboat. 

The clash was vicious. Coarse, thick skin slapped against each other as Keiji collided against the leading shark. Bokuto could hear the snapping of teeth and a deep, thunderous growl that was no doubt coming from Keiji. 

Bokuto hadn't realized he had stood until the rumbling waves caused by the fight in front of him rocked the boat hard. He had to lean over for purchase, spreading his feet, but Bokuto couldn't sit. His attention solely on Keiji and the sharks who were pushing the fight closer to him, deeper into the Alopias. 

He had never felt such fear before, adrenaline pumping through his veins frantically, but he was frozen, helpless, unable to do anything. Bokuto could only watch the events unfold in front of him. 

Keiji whipping his tail against the shark on the left, still strangling the first, then leaping to stab at the third with his spear. 

Keiji diving out of sight, only to reappear and lifting the second shark out of his way and throwing him against the nearest boulder. 

Keiji and his arm nearly missing the bite of the first shark's teeth. 

Keiji clawing out the eye of the third shark and then landing a solid punch in its midsection, enough to get it out of immediate range so he could focus on the first and largest shark. 

Bokuto was so focused on watching Keiji fight, ruthless and horrifyingly graceful with his fangs bared and hands clawed, scales so bright, they were almost platinum. He didn't see the other sharks who had slipped away until he felt a bump against his rowboat on one side, quickly followed by one on the other. 

Keiji, though, had seen them, and he was cutting through the water, spear raised above his head and leaving a limp shark behind him. 

His spear connected before his claws did. Both cut deep along the shallow stab from earlier. But Bokuto hadn't forgotten the shark on the other side. It lunged at him, rows of teeth snapping mere centimeters from his nose. He reacted before his brain could fully process the action, already swinging with his shamishen. 

It cracked and splintered, and he felt a small pang in his heart, but bile rose over all his senses as he saw blood infect the water, drifting from the other side of the boat. 

 He couldn't focus on that yet, though, not when the shark that attacked him directly changed tactic and spun around the tip of the rowboat, heading to catch Keiji in heat of battle from behind. Bokuto stabbed at the water with the broken neck of his shamishen. He felt panic overtake him when it barely grazed the shark, still heading for Keiji.   

He opened his mouth to shout at the mer in warning, but shut up quickly, the sound dying in his throat. Bokuto glimpsed the lifeless body of the shark Keiji had been fighting as it sank towards the bottom of the ocean, but Keiji did not waste time, already throwing his spear and dispatching the final shark Bokuto had hit. 

Bokuto dropped the leftover pieces of his shamishen as he fell on his ass, not caring that he was sitting on some of the dead fish from before. He was heaving for breath, the adrenaline not leaving his system yet, worsening when Keiji gripped the edges of the rowboat and exerted so much force it tipped towards him. 

Those bared fangs, all four of them, were in front his face, closer than the sharks had been, and the flames in Keiji's eyes only grew stronger. 

Was he supposed to be afraid? He would, actually, with the leftover residue of his fear from earlier still lining his insides and coating his veins, and he was just a bit from Keiji's intensity. But his heart was slowing now, if only slightly. His mind was more in control and cooperating than before when he was frozen or acting without thinking. 

Bokuto felt himself wither from Keiji's literal heat rolling off him.

Hostile, like a shark circling his prey, is what Kuroo had said about Keiji. Bokuto had called him cold. In that moment, though, Bokuto found Kuroo was right and he was wrong. Keiji was not cold at all, and Bokuto was equally unafraid of the near-feral mer in front of him.  

Despite noticing Keiji's lips beginning to form words, Bokuto had to look away to escape some of the heat. 

_"What were you doing? I prot--"_

He wished he looked away sooner. 

"KEIJI! LOOK OUT!"

The first shark slammed into Keiji's side, teeth sinking into his pale skin, pushing him far enough in the water to collide with the nearest boulder. Bokuto could do nothing as Keiji's face twisted in pain as he heard a sharp _whack_. 

Keiji scrambled with his spear, attempted twisting his body out of the hold, and what could Bokuto do? His shamishen could do nothing, they were too far out of reach to pull off the shark. 

He could only do one thing. 

But before he could jump into the water, he felt a powerful wave surge under him. The brightness of three additional tails near blinded him, but he could make out the brown tuff of Tooru reaching the shark, yanking it off Keiji with such force Bokuto thought he was going to split apart its jaws. Koushi's arms wrapped around Keiji, pulling him away from the shark as soon as Tooru grabbed hold of it. Kenma, too, appeared, recognized by his midnight hair with Bokuto's minimal, wobbly vision. The youngest mer lifted Keiji's tail, Bokuto saw its dimming shine and... and _limp_. 

Keiji looked lifeless in his brothers' arms. 

 _No_. Tears immediately welled in his eyes, and his arms reached out, ready to jump in the water anyway. 

But his rowboat was moving, pushed by Tooru out of the Alopias, forcing him to sit back down at the speed ... and following Keiji's body towards the island.

Behind him, the sun had begun to set.

Bokuto falls in love easily, and he doesn't regret it when teardrops stain the floor of the rowboat. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! It means the world to me if you've stuck around this long. <3 
> 
> This chapter is 8.3k, and that is the most I have ever written for a single chapter. We are officially entering the last two arcs of MeT!
> 
> For those who wanted morally gray Akaashi, I'm sorry. I didn't deliver. Kuroo is prob the guy you'll be hating on now, but he has his reasons. :') 
> 
> As always, thanks to Dawn who helped greatly with this chapter in particular and some future events to come~. And to Dove, who I plagued with small snippets as I was writing this. 
> 
> **ALSO. SHAMELESS PROMOTION, BUT:**
> 
> 1\. Would you like to join a Creative Support Group? Where you can have your own cheer team and help cheer on others for school, writing, or art? Possibly even find a few betas to offer you feedback or just some motivation?  
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> Then join us! We have a group chat just for this purpose, and we're always looking for new members. If you're interested, check out these following posts:
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	11. he's there for you when he shouldn't be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Koushi doubts himself, Keiji accepts the truth, and Kenma dyes his hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 10 and Chapter 11 and basically all of the bokuaka are heavily inspired by [ this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JFApIRAl6Y).

Everyone huddles on the edge of the beach when twilight descends. All of them are hovered over the slack body laying prone against a flat rock. Daichi worked hard to push the rest of the crew back some feet before walking over to console a sobbing Bokuto on his knees next to Keiji's head. Koushi was already at his brother's side, his hands steady as he cleaned out the serrated flesh with the freshwater Tooru brought. 

His nimble fingers plucked out whatever debris he could, small bits of kelp and lost scales. At least the blood had dried. 

It wasn't the worst injury Keiji had ever sustained, but it was far more damage than the young mer had sustained in years. The wound itself wasn't a large concern, though, Keiji's unconsciousness was certainly one. 

Worry gnawed at his lip despite his unshaking hands. 

Kenma appeared beside him with violet paste that looked black in the low light. 

He thanked Kenma softly for the _Ianthinus_ and grinding it into the healing salve they frequently used. Keiji would be left with an awful scar marring the entire side of his abdomen, but it would heal. 

Koushi gingerly lined the flaps of tough skin he already cleaned. He could sense several of the pirates turn away from the sight despite it from not being excessive or huge pieces of flesh, it was just slightly bigger than a nasty scrape from a rock. Mers were tougher than that; Keiji more so. 

Finally finished with the top part, he moved quickly to clean the identical wound on Keiji's underside now that Kenma and the Ianthinus were here. Koushi was fully aware that the sooner he applied the Ianthinus, the more potent it was. 

He found mostly nothing but the same sort of scales and small bits... until the pads of fingers brushed against a sharp piece, not the waxy film of kelp. Koushi snipped it up and held it before his eyes to confirm what he had found: a shark tooth. 

Koushi turned to Kenma, finally done after a quick overview to ensure he didn't miss any more leftover teeth, and he traded the tooth for the paste. 

"Bokuto," Iwaizumi crouched next to his musician and spoke in a low reassuring tone, "Can you tell us what happened?" 

The musician tries, but the words are choked out, incoherent. "We - hunting - the sharks - came outta nowhere - I couldn't do anything." 

Murmurs among the humans sound like cicadas in the trees. Seeing their cheerful musician so distraught was surely taxing, and while Koushi certainly appreciated Bokuto, he cared for his brother far more so he left their speculation for Tooru to answer. 

Tooru's agitated tail makes the water choppy but Koushi can't bring himself to berate his brother for showing the emotion he felt inside. 

"Three? Sharks rarely come so close to the island, let alone three at once, but it does happen, Iwa-chan. They need to eat just as we do." 

"Will he be alright?" Kuroo asked, crouching behind his best friend and rubbing his back. 

Koushi could feel the golden gaze laced with concern on him as he worked. It pulled the hook in his heart to see that not only did they care for Bokuto, but for whoever Bokuto cared about. Considering Tooru as well and that it was his brother who was injured, the care extended tenfold and Koushi could feel it echo throughout the island. 

"He'll be fine." He finally spoke to them as a whole. They deserved as much, but he kept his hands working, rubbing the paste over the outer edges of the wound. "The bite was deep enough to scar, but not enough to incapacitate him." Koushi withheld his tongue once he heard Bokuto whimper. 

The poor pirate didn't need him to voice the issue of Keiji's lack of conscious. 

"Perhaps I can help?" Koushi's hand finally stilled at the firm request. He blinked in surprise to find it came from Asahi, the anxious and gentle giant. The other held a small pouch in his hands. "I don't know much about mers, but if you would be willing to let me try, I believe a few stitches can help keep the scarring to a minimum." 

"How?" Tooru's tone was too sharp, too demanding, but Asahi didn't flinch. 

The tall brunet shuffled in his pouch until he presented a roll of thread and a thick, wide needle. "I can sew his skin, and the thread will keep the flesh together. It helps the skin heal faster and better, when its lined up right."

"Asahi's the best surgeon there is, Tooru-senpai! He can totally help." Noya nodded, and the sentiment was backed by Tanaka and Hinata. The three of them began regaling tales of all the times their medic patched them up, obviously trying to lighten their stress. 

Koushi felt Tooru bump their tails together before withdrawing from the space to edges of the pool where he could both watch and give the eldest space. It was clear deference. Koushi nodded his consent to the human medic. He had spoken to Asahi enough times, exchanged herbs and their healing properties, and discussed various methods. All of their time spent was enough for Koushi to trust him. 

The three mers watched in silence, but Koushi also watched in tense fascination as Asahi immediately knelt and began to thread his brother's tough skin. It was a slow process, it seemed. Asahi struggled to push the needle through but it worked and Keiji's skin was sewn tightly together. Beneath the ache of his furrowed brow, Koushi was inherently awed by human medicine and had been since the first night he spoke to the pirate surgeon. 

The two of them together form a quick system: once Asahi stitches up one section, Koushi applies thick coats of the Ianthinus. They make quick progress, and once they start on Keiji's back, Koushi sends Kenma to retrieve more of the violet paste and an _Aurantius_ flower he hopes will propel their brother to wake.

Despite his and his brothers' reassurances, he still hears Bokuto alternating between sniffles and howls of sobbing guilt. Koushi aches for the pirate who freely shed heartfelt tears over his brother. He allows himself to peak up at Bokuto who didn't bother to hide his wails and held Keiji's limp hand tightly in his own. 

Koushi recognized it as love. Everyone was falling in love. He considered Kenma included, though the youngest mer was barely falling into the sensation, it was still evident by the way the youngest mer settled next to Kuroo with ease once he handed Koushi his requested herbs. 

Tearing his gaze away, he ripped the petals of the Aurantius and rubbed them together beneath his brother's nose. 

He made the mistake of looking back up, to the left of Bokuto, and catching the gaze of Daichi who offered him a small smile. 

Koushi couldn't help but return the comforting gesture because that's what it was: comfort. Daichi, who was already consoling an inconsolable Bokuto with a tight hug that never faltered, was offering Koushi reassurance, too. 

Koushi couldn't help but wonder,  _Am I?_   

He can't ponder that for long, not when he hears a hiss escape and Keiji's eyelids flutter. There were more important things at the moment.  

 

  **~~~~~~~~**

 

He only sees sparklets of white light through the slits of his eyelids. Keiji is struggling to open his eyes completely as pieces of information compile together in the darkness of his mind. He recognizes stars, and next, that it is night. 

Keiji senses the pain next, and he wants to hiss. Only a futile gasp is released. His body feels cold and his throat is dry, raw almost. The only warmth he feels is in his hand. He can finally open his eyes, but refrains from taking in more than quick glimpses at a time. His hand is being held between two broad ones, encompassing his knuckles and claws. Keiji recognizes the tan skin against his pale one. 

Bokuto. 

His memories come rushing back, and Keiji remembers the pumping of his veins and the wild thrashing of the sharks.  He can still feel their teeth embedded in his skin, the throbbing central point of where he hit his head. Most of all, he sees Bokuto standing on his little, wobbly vessel and precious instrument in hand, splintered, entirely demolished. He sees Bokuto's attempts to _help_. 

His mind registers the droplets falling on his skin. Those, too, are warm. Just like Bokuto. 

"K-Keiji?" Bokuto was sobbing, releasing tears from his pores. 

Sleep was calling him again, lurking at the edges of his vision. Keiji faintly felt his eldest brother's soft, cool hand against his forehead, brushing away his hair, and he felt the calloused one of Tooru take his other empty hand.

"Don't fall asleep, Keiji." Eldest murmured, clear in his ear. "Bokuto-san, can you please talk to him? About anything, at all. Just keep him awake." 

The warmth shook, Bokuto's hands shook, just the way the pirate's head bobbed in agreement. Keiji could hear his voice, but the words were garbled and bumbling, still laced with a shakiness Keiji felt in his chest. Bokuto's deep, low tones soon smoothed into Keiji's favorite tune. 

His chest felt tight once he recognized the melody. Bokuto was no longer talking, but singing, humming... Keiji wasn't sure, but he heard it, and it succeeded in keeping his interest long enough to stay alert despite the lethargic haze around his head. 

He had never heard Bokuto sing before, and he loved it.

Keiji had been wrong about humans, _this_ human. 

Bokuto Koutarou was a pure soul who flew like a bird. 

 

**~~~~~~~~**

 

Kenma holds the tooth tightly in his fist until it indents into his skin. He had been restless, unsettled, agitated all day. Even the sea had been no refuge, and now it had boiled to this. 

He should have known something was terribly wrong, but his senses were plugged. His head was filled with pressure, like a cork stuck in the neck of a bottle he once found. The scrap of parchment inside trapped, never to be released, and unwilling to be read... until Kenma saw the tooth.

Everything had fallen into place. 

Keiji would be fine, and for that, he was relieved. 

The sea was calm, with no trace of the irritation he felt infuse in him. His skull was free from aches.

The message in the bottle had been plucked out, and he would be its messenger.  

 

**~~~~~~~~~**

 

Bokuto had kept him awake like Koushi had asked. Long into the night, Bokuto sang despite all the pirates dispersing and his brothers leaving. The injury in his side had been all stitched up, and cold seaweed was wrapped around his head. Still, Keiji had kept his eyes closed and his head laying on Bokuto's lap to listen.

Until, eventually, Bokuto's head began to droop and singing had become soft whispers.

Keiji had slipped back into the water and swam to his spot.

Something had shifted, and he needed to be alone to process it.

Under the half full moon, Keiji sank into his favorite cavern in his favorite pool, deep inland where he first met Bokuto.

He tried to ignore how awfully lonely it felt without the pirate's song.

 

By the next morning, Keiji could no longer hide from his hurricane of thoughts. Ages of old mentality and prejudice chased blossoming feelings on strong winds, but in the center of the storm, he had found a common answer. He hadn't faced the truthentirely, still whirling around the obvious. There were some pieces left to be filled, not by him, but he knew for certain now. He had seen the eye of the storm inside his chest.  

Bokuto made his days better. With his music and rambling, Bokuto had proven Keiji did not despise all humans, had proven there were some who were good, but most of all, had proven Keiji was willing to change. 

Keiji had been waiting when Bokuto stumbled through the treeline just after dawn, breathing heavy and frantically searching. Not for long, though, since Keiji was resting his head on the slab of rock that was always between them. 

He walked over to the pool with slow steps. 

"How are you feeling?" is what Bokuto asks first when he settles along the edge of the pool, feet dipped. His hands fidget, pulling on each knuckle while he waits for Keiji to answer. 

"I'm fine." Keiji wants to reach out, tell him to stop torturing his thick hands. "Thank you." 

"I'm sorry," Bokuto blurts out next. "I-I got in your way, and I'm, I'm sorry." 

"Bokuto-san." He stopping the rambling before it would appear fully. "I was thanking you for ... for staying with me." 

"But, you looked really upset with me. I shouldn't have--"

"I was upset because it wasn't your job. I protect, Bokuto, as the warrior of this pod." Keiji rests his palm against his heart in earnest. "It wasn't your duty to protect me, but you did, and I am thanking you for it."   

Bokuto looked as he was about to say more, mouth hanging and ready, but Keiji continued talking. The most he ever has, the most important. "Thank you, Bokuto. I wasn't happy at the time, no, but for once, I was scared. My brothers may have their own roles, but if just one of them was there, I wouldn't have been as worried. Except, you were there, and I was afraid for you."

"Bokuto," Keiji started. What he was about to say next weighing heavily on his mind. "Bokuto, _I_ am the one who should be sorry." 

"What? No, no Keiji, you haven't done anything!"

"I was using you, Bokuto-san. I never liked humans, not any of your friends, and I was using you for information. I was wrong, and I am sorry." 

To Keiji's surprise, Bokuto's shrug is immediate and he runs a hand through his hair. "I'm not... I'm not stupid. I knew you were, but... I'm sorry, too. All I ever did was use you to talk about my problems. Makes us even." 

He has never felt heat in his cheeks before, and he's sure this is what Tooru teases as blushing. It's the only way the surprise is evident in his face. 

Bokuto's hands return to their awful torture and Keiji is compelled to reach out for them to cover his shame, but that would only add onto his embarrassment. 

"I thought you were curious about humans at first, but well, between you and Kenma... They were some weird questions." At the very least, Keiji's blush lessens when he sees the half hearted attempt at a smirk on Bokuto's lips. 

Far off in the distance, Keiji can hear the pirate camp rising, getting ready for another day. Bokuto notices this, too, and stands.

"Bokuto-san? There's nothing to forgive, I was... happy to listen."

The smile Bokuto gives at that is the one Keiji is hopelessly in love with, genuine and bright. 

"Same to you, Keiji. I knew you weren't so bad, and I didn't mind telling you all the things you wanted to know. Get some rest, and... and I'll see you tonight?" 

Keiji only nods, straining his lips in what he hopes is a smile. He holds this smile, grimace, whatever it is, long after Bokuto disappears until he can no longer contain the saltwater that escapes, drop by drop, down his cheek. 

He feels a slender arm wrap around his waist, another muscular one across his shoulders. Tooru and Kenma press tightly against him. A pair of hands pet his hair, wetting it and wiping his forehead, he knows this is Koushi by the firm press between his shoulder blades.  Trapped comfortably, he does something he has not in a long time: he buries his face in the crook of Tooru's neck. 

"I think I understand, now," he whispers, "but why does love have to hurt this much?" 

Keiji finally releases the sobs he's withheld since he first felt Bokuto's tears against his skin.    


 

**~~~~~~~~**

 

Kenma reached out of the water, quick as a dart, and snatched the shiny shears from Kuroo as the man nears. The heavy metal glints in the sunlight, and  it's free of rust like Kenma's own pair. Kuroo makes it too easy now to take things from him which would annoy Kenma if the objects he grabbed were worth less.

It's early again, and he can see Kuroo is tired. The events from a few days ago had obviously stressed the pirates more than it had Kenma, and he hoped it hadn't urged them to move faster and leave. Kenma's fingers tapped the locket around his next, making sure it was still there. 

Against the morning light, Kenma noticed the pirate's wild locks are limp and his movements slow as he bends over to place down a strange bottle. Still, Kuroo was here and Kenma wanted to make use of every moment they had to settle every curiosity. He's not quite sure why he feels rushed, but the sensation is echoed by the forceful waves of the sea. 

"Peroxide." Kuroo gestured towards the glass bottle before he kneels on the stone perch closest to Kenma. "It's what will make your hair blonde. Hopefully. If mer hair isn't different from humans'."

He's still inspecting the silver shears in his hands, admiring its luster unlike his own bronze ones when Kuroo extends a palm for them. Kenma hesitates before giving them back and moving closer. Despite seeing Kuroo's solid handiwork with Bokuto a few days prior, Kenma has never had anyone else cut his hair before nor has he let anyone do so. 

Tall palms braced each of his shoulders, nudging him closer and turning him to face the sunrise, away from Kuroo. "Relax, I've done this for Noya and Bo a million times." 

Kenma takes a deep breath in attempt ease his apprehension before tilting his head backwards. 

"So," hooded eyes bore down at him as Kuroo looms over, wasting no time to begin and gather Kenma's thick, long hair, "Akaashi, how is he?"

He wants to shrug, but Kenma knows how such a small movement could ruin a careful process such as this. Tooru was terrible when it came time to get his hair trimmed, always squirming and then complaining when his hair didn't look quite right. 

"Fine, especially if he is with your brother right now, I would assume." 

Their voices are hushed in the early dawn for the others are sleeping down the beach. Kenma had heard Iwaizumi say they needed to hustle the day before, and he knew Keiji's injury would not hinder their progress. 

"I figured," Kuroo muttered, and Kenma does not miss the frown that tugs at the pirate's lips. "How did you like Bo the other day, anyway? I know you weren't feeling the best." 

"He was fine." _He's good to Keiji._ Again, he repressed the urge to shrug. Bokuto was loud, extremely so, but he was Keiji's to deal with. As long as the wild pirate was somewhere in the woods, away from Kenma's sensitive ears, it was no bother to him. "Are you and Bokuto still unhappy with each other?"

At last, Kuroo paused and this allowed Kenma to shift into a more comfortable position. He wanted to trust Kuroo, and their usual discourse was relaxing enough, but his body was still tense. Even his tail twitched. 

"I'm not... Bokuto is Bokuto, and he's stubborn as hell. I'm not unhappy with him, I'm just... frustrated he's letting his own insecurities get the best of him."

 _You're unhappy_ for _him_. Kenma has always been good at reading his brothers, and because of his extensive practice with Tooru, he finds humans are easy to decipher. 

"You should leave it alone, Kuroo-san. You care far too much about others and not enough about yourself." 

Kuroo chuckled and returned to his work, but there's a melancholic inflection in his voice. "I haven't heard someone tell me those words in a long time. Thanks, I'll try to keep that in mind." 

"No else tells you this?" Kenma thought it was obvious. "Who did, then?" 

"My mother." Kuroo collects the cut damp hair around them and chucks them off to the side, reaching for the peroxide. "Close your eyes, just in case, this shit burns like hell." 

His fists clenched beneath the surface of the water. Mers never burned, not really, and Kenma didn't want to learn how it truly felt now. Kuroo was a master of conversation, he had learned, and the man had a done a good job at relaxing him a small bit. But sometimes Kuroo was awful at conversation, saying the worst things offhandedly, like right now. Kenma tried to focus on the topic aside from his hair and the empty feeling in his palms. 

"Your... parent?" 

"Yeah, the lady in that locket there." Kenma hears the unscrewing of the cap and the scraping of a large seashell Kenma often used as an accessory. "Her and my dad, both died when I was twelve. They were teachers, you would have liked them."

Kuroo continued as he grip Kenma's hair and carefully poured the peroxide onto the multiple, thick strands. He knows this because he feels the drops singe every hair upon his head where it lands. His tail froths the water with its increasing movements. 

"Bokuto took their deaths harder than I did, though. He had come to us the year before. The resident orphan child everyone tried to take care of until they thought he was too hectic to handle." Kenma feels Kuroo use his favorite comb gently, barely prodding his scalp. "He had just began lessons with them, along with the other children of the village, our shoddy form of school, really. Famines suck. Do mers ever experience those, where fish just... run out?" 

"No," Kenma says softly, "When our parents died, Tooru and Koushi did everything. I don't remember them, and there is always fish in the sea, if you swim as far as Tooru would." 

"Guess you could say Bo and I did the same thing, traveled far enough to the closest city." 

"What did you do then?" Kenma dared to peek at Kuroo who was just outside of his field of vision, busy adding more and more liquid fire to his hair. 

"Found a carpenter who agreed to take me on as his apprentice, free room and board if I did. He put Bokuto to work, too, so the both of us could stay. Then..." Kuroo draws in a long breath. "Nekomata died as well, naturally of old age, and his son sold the shop. Bo and I kept moving afterwards, all the way till we reached the coast and Iwaizumi."  

"And now you're here, as Tooru would say."

He hears another chuckle, and Kenma peeks again to find Kuroo smirking at him. "You can open your eyes now, I've wrapped up your hair in this blanket wrap. Give it an hour or so before washing the peroxide off, and don't steal the wrap. It's Noya's." 

"Tooru says a lot of odd things, I noticed." Kuroo still leans over him despite shifting to sit beside Kenma's head. Now that Kuroo was away from Kenma's hair, he could release the tightness in his shoulders. "He really likes Iwaizumi."  

"He learns it all from Koushi." Kenma hummed, feeling the sun warm his damp hair, soothing the mild burn he feels. It was nowhere near as terrible as he thought it would be. "And, yes, he's been in love for some time." 

Tooru had become both more and less annoying since Iwaizumi first came to the island. Less, because he'd rather share details of their courting with Koushi in hushed giggles. More, because he wouldn't stop pestering Kenma about Kuroo. More, because Tooru being in love and doing things in love left him more curious than ever before. 

 _"We kissed, Kenma-kun, we kissed."_ He still remembers Tooru's elation, spinning in their home, creating a vortex of crystalline sand around him. 

Kenma wanted to know what it felt like. A kiss, that is. 

He knew kisses on the cheek, the forehead, even the ear in playful, familial affection. He knew mer kisses. Lips touching lips, human lips, though... There was only one person, one human, he could think of when his curiosity decided to spear to the forefront of his mind. One human he could trust with something as special, Tooru had described. 

And Kuroo was right there beside him. Quiet, eyes closed and basking in the sun just as Kenma was doing. His chest expanded and fell, deeply, almost as if he were asleep. Kenma had the suspicion Kuroo didn't sleep much at all. 

"Tooru talks about kissing Iwaizumi all the time." This observation bolstered his curiosity, lessened his guilt, when he released soft words into the crisp morning air. "Kuroo, would you kiss me?"

Awful choking sounds bothered Kenma's ears and he shifted slightly away as Kuroo thumped at his chest, sitting up straight. " _What_?" 

"Nevermind," he muttered, wishing he could sink back into the water, but all he could do was look away. Suddenly, he didn't want his hair to turn yellow. Not at this expense. 

"I mean, ah, uh, are you sure?" Kuroo cleared his throat one last time. 

"I was curious, and it was silly. Ignore it, please." 

"Close your eyes, and tilt your head towards me." It was his voice, smooth, that made Kenma turn his head toward Kuroo and do as he was told. 

He had never heard Kuroo sound like that before, and it was strange, he felt quiet waves in his gut at the sound of it and bubbling foam within the tips of his fingers. 

Kenma screwed his eyes shut, pressing the lids together as hard as he could, ignoring his quickened breath. 

Was Kuroo really... Did he really ask for this? He could sense Kuroo's body, just like earlier, looming over him like an oppressive shadow. It was a slow descent, and Kenma felt stuck to the rock beneath him, unable to move or process what was happening.

It was quick and feather light, over before he knew it. Kenma blinked opened his eyes to find Kuroo grinning, not quite the calm grin he was used to seeing, but almost... giddy. It matched how he felt inside, and he wondered if it showed on his face, too. 

"Kuroo." 

In the midst of his embarrassment and anxiety, he hadn't heard boots crunching against the sand and come to a stop a few feet away. Kuroo's grin faltered, settling into the type he normally gave one Sawamura Daichi, the quartermaster. Kenma felt heat transfer to his cheeks and, once again, wished to disappear beneath the water. 

Sighing, Kuroo stood up. "Dadchi, Dadchi, Dadchi. Is it time for work already?" 

"Good morning, Kenma." He sees Sawamura nod in his direction from the corner of his eyes, but then he turned to Kuroo. "Iwaizumi's called for the morning meeting." 

"Remember, just an hour then rinse it out."  Kuroo calls out to him, and Kenma looks to him in time to nod before the pirates walk away together.  


 

**~~~~~~~~**

 

When Kenma returned to their cavern, Keiji had to strain his perfect vision. 

No amount of shadowed waters could hide the bright yellow of his brother's hair. Kenma spared them no glances, heading straight for his alcove, but Keiji could see the small smile on his face clearly as if they were above water. 

He has to stifle the indignation that threatens to rise. Keiji was in love with a human, but he still needed to learn to not hate all things... human, especially the shocking metamorphosis of Kenma's hair. 

Even Tooru and Koushi hushed their tittering into silence on either side of him. That is, until Koushi rubbed his shoulder gently and leaves his spot. Keiji's side is cold with his eldest's absence as Koushi swam to see the stunning miracle.

"Oh," Tooru finally gushes, clenching both of his fists close to his chin. "You have to help me, Keiji. Look at Kenma, he's so in love, too! Now there's only stubborn, stubborn Koushi left." 

Tooru gestures with only long arm towards their brother. Koushi's silver hair a beacon in the dim light, a star next to Kenma's sun colored hair. The smile painted on Tooru's lips is both fond and mischievous, a look Keiji knows well. 

He had been taking comfort in his brothers more recently, as he was still coming to grips with the new awareness of his feelings. Now, every moment with Bokuto was both calm and ecstatic. His mind, his blood, and his nerves were cool, but every so often, his heart would thump harder against his chest or skip to a new rhythm. Keiji would then tire his mind further when he returned to his brothers' embrace in the evening. He could never tell if these sensations existed before his reckoning and he never acknowledged them or if they were the latest evolution of his feelings.   

Keiji kept his gaze on Koushi and Kenma across the cavern. For all their struggles, Keiji truly hated disappointing his mentor. 

"I won't. We have an obligation to fulfill." 

Tooru gaped at him. 

"I don't know as much as you, but I know you cannot force them to recognize their love before they're ready." He looks away, but at the floor below them and not Tooru. 

It was difficult but simple to explain, and he was hoping Tooru would understand. Of course, it was Tooru, though, and despite what he thought about Koushi, he was the true stubborn one.  

"But, if you help them, we won't have to go! None of us will. Don't you see? We could all follow the pirates forever. We could--"

 _Be with them forever._ And Keiji tries to ice the pang in his heart, the echoing fear of the day he will no longer hear Bokuto. 

Keiji may be Tooru's pupil, but he does not have Tooru's optimism. 

"I... am the warrior of this pod. Wherever they go, I go."

"But Kenma... They kissed. Look at his hair." It felt strange to be whispering with Tooru, a situation he had imagined often as a child, but Keiji finds no happiness in it at this moment. 

"Koushi is right, you follow them. Take Kenma if he wishes, but if Koushi does not, I will stay with him."

Tooru had fallen silent, and it was eerie to Keiji for he felt the weight of the ocean bearing down upon them both. Tooru kept his gaze towards the others, their hands playing with the new yellow strands. "And what about you and your pirate, won't you miss him?" 

Yes, he would, terribly so, he can feel the upcoming ache, but ... Keiji loves his brothers far more. Bokuto would understand. Perhaps, Bokuto could... No, it was a foolish notion, and Keiji shook his head at his wayward thoughts. He was always one to have outlandish, stupid ideas. Bokuto and him were truly a pair, after all. 

As he had before that morning he realized his love for the human, Keiji once again faced one simple truth. 

"You're the explorer, Tooru... you're allowed to leave." 

His brother says nothing, for he knows this simple truth, too. So, Tooru only pulls them closer together, chest to chest, and lets Keiji bury his nose in the crook of his shoulder. 

Keiji liked it second best there. 

Second, to sitting beside Bokuto.    

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here I am, five days early! I mean, that counts as a week, right? I have also delivered the said kuroken, minimally it may be. I hope you enjoyed!
> 
>  **Some Mer Info:** Most mer pods have the following roles of Leader, Healer, Mother, Warrior, and Explorer. There are more but these are the most basic (and generally important) roles of any mer pod. Some pods may have more of one than another. Tooru is an Explorer, and its his job to learn about their environment, other locations, and other species. Keiji is the Warrior of the pod, but in reality, his main job is to protect the others. Kenma is a Mother and he serves as a spiritual link between the pod and the ocean/goddess. Koushi doubles as both the Leader and the Healer of the pod. Because he is the leader, it is his job to take care of their home and the other mers in all aspects. 
> 
> Thank you so much for your comments, bookmarks (and notes), subs, and kudos!! I apologize to everyone in advance if I respond to your comments late. Since comments motivate me so much, I tend to leave them "unread" so I will always be reminded of them when I log into ao3 and my email. I DO read them, though!! And y'all are so lovely to me and this fic, I don't deserve any of you. So thank you thank you thank you! (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ ♥‿♥


	12. blame it on the night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone is fine. 
> 
> Except Kuroo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thank you to [Dawn](http://archiveofourown.org/users/eccentrick/works) and [Molly](http://archiveofourown.org/users/darkgaaraluver/pseuds/darkgaaraluver/works) for helping me with this chapter and listening to my woes.

Daichi was surprised by three things.

1\. He had managed to bring Koushi aboard the ship.

2\. They had a large enough bucket to bring Koushi aboard the ship, awkwardly and uncomfortably the mer may be seated.

3\. Iwaizumi, Asahi, and he were strong enough to haul Koushi and the large barrel of water up to the boat via rope and sheer determination.

He had come to learn that all the mers were curious in some way, but while some were only content with asking questions, only Koushi was bold enough to ask to see inside the ship. Tail be damned. Daichi was the one to grant his wish, and the knowing glint in Asahi's eye never left throughout the whole ordeal.

When they had thrown the wooden basin into the ocean, Koushi had propelled himself forward towards it. With Daichi only watching, a bit flustered by the tone pale arms, the mer had managed to wrangle the bucket to stay steady long enough to heft himself into the bucket. 

Koushi was squished, his midsection meeting his tail, but the grin and thumbs up he sent them showed no signs of discomfort. From there, Daichi had called upon the two other large men on deck. (He was not the only one weak to Koushi's charms.)

It was finally another rest day, approaching the end of the second week. The crew had been working overtime since Kuroo had increased the expected amount of timber needed to repair and stock the ship. Yet, here was sensible, steadfast Sawamura overexerting himself all because a water angel asked him to on his day off.

Nonetheless, Asahi and Iwaizumi left the two beside the gangway entrance along the ship's rail. Koushi was silent for a few moments, taking in the ropes, the odd barrel here and there, and the sails. The longer Koushi looked around, the more Daichi noticed Hinata hadn't scrubbed the deck that morning and there were left over orange peels on the tables. Daichi braced himself for the mild look of disgust that was sure to come.  

"Remarkable," Koushi turned to grin at him, "humans have truly found a way to move land across the sea."

Daichi bit his tongue, afraid to point out the discrepancies he saw and brushed off the orange peels as discretely as he could. He brought their shoddy table closer to Koushi, his tail flopping out of the container and onto the floor. Then, he smoothed open the roll of leather he had been holding to reveal bright colors painted on the world map.

The wide eye astonishment in Koushi's face made the whole morning ordeal worth it. 

"Is this...?" 

"Yep. The whole world." Daichi hoped his grin returned the mer's exuberance. 

Koushi shifted the best he could in the old wooden wash tub Daichi had found and pushed back a few strands of his hair. Daichi stared at the movements of his thin fingers and smothered the yearning to be the one to brush hair from Koushi's face. Rubbing the back of his neck, he found the will to look away. 

"We're here." He tapped the map before sliding his finger. "And here, is our country. It's not too far, really, just a bit more north in the First Sea."

"I could have told you that," Koushi teased him. "Tooru could make the journey to Iwaizumi's port and back in two days, maybe one if he pushed himself."

Nodding, Daichi studied the map carefully. He was intent to keep his focus there and not on the trailing silver strands that spilled from Koushi's head, barely grazing the deck floor. There was simply no way he could compete with a creature who called the sea his home. Surely, for Koushi, there was no land he had never seen, no sea he had never discovered. What could Daichi, who barely explored four of the seven seas, have to offer?

"Is this the Seventh Sea?"

"Ah, yes!" Daichi cleared his throat, bringing his volume down after catching his outburst. He shifted the map closer to where Koushi pointed. "It's the coldest sea, sitting on the edge of the world."

Koushi frowned. His sharp nail lightly clawed the edges of the land bordering the Seventh Sea. "Tooru did mention that; he's the only one of us who've been there."

"Only Tooru?"

On his own, Koushi pushed the map along the table, some of the leather parchment folding in rolls as he inspected the other seas and countries. "Yes, he came back last winter. The rest of us have never been beyond the Second Sea. What are the other seas like, the humans there?"

So there was something Daichi could share, after all. He smiled and brought his seat closer. And, no, he absolutely did not lean a little too close to Koushi, their faces mere inches away from each other. (He absolutely did.) 

Smoothing out the map, he ignored the First and Second seas, moving onto the next largest sea.

"The Third and Fourth seas are on the opposite side of this continent, and it's ..." Daichi frowned as he read the names of the countries, lingering on the one that troubled him most. He had heard too many awful stories about the place, had to mail casualty letters to families because of it. "A troubled area, riddled with pirates, far worse than any you'll find here in the First and Second seas, and foreign countries struggling for control of it."

"Have you ever been to another sea, Daichi-san, one not your home?"

He stared at Koushi who only stared at the map, making it difficult to read his expression. "I have, but briefly. We were just passing by. I never had time to explore the other countries. I only know stories told by those who have lived in other places." 

Quicker than his eyes had seen, Koushi gripped the edges of the map and lifted it into the air. Daichi reeled back in surprise. Koushi held up the map and let the corners flap around. It was the most curious display Daichi had ever seen from the eldest mer. It made him chuckle, which encouraged Koushi to shake and twist the map even more. Koushi angled the map several ways, watching the sunlight affect the colors and regretfully finding little change. (The map's worth was more in its details and navigational symbols than the ink used.)

"Remarkable," Koushi said once again, giggling, "amazing, strange, how silly! Humans need these things to know where to go."

"We're only human, you know." Daichi pretended to pout.

Koushi threw the map back onto the table and his tail thumped, vibrating the floor boards. 

"And, maps help us come back here." He said, smiling, "We can see you again."

It was far too early for the sun to set, seeing as the day had just begun, but like the sun disappearing over the horizon, Koushi's happy grin receded and the light in his eyes dimmed. This change only happened for a second, and Daichi questioned if his eyes tricked him. 

Before he could ask, Kageyama stumbled onto the deck with a hand mussing through his hair. Asahi handed the navigator an orange as Kageyama passed by the sick bay. 

Knocking his hand on the table, Daichi hissed. 

He forgot there were others aboard still, Asahi within hearing distance. He could feel the rising heat creeping up his neck at his clumsiness. Pressing his sore knuckle up to his lip, he heard Koushi giggle at him.     

"Oi, Kageyama. You're up late." Iwaizumi grunted from his office. "Hurry up. Hinata was looking for you."

And then the captain closed his door once again, probably to catch up on some much needed sleep while Tooru was occupied elsewhere. At least, that's what Daichi assumed. They weren't the quietest pair out there, either. 

Kageyama blinked before taking a step and pausing once more as he saw Koushi sitting in an old washtub. "Uh..."

"Hello, Tobio-kun, your quartermaster here is very resourceful! He found a way for me to see your ship. Isn't he wonderful?"

Daichi coughed on his own spit. He wished he was more used to Koushi's teasing and off-hand innocuous compliments, but he wasn't used to it at all after nearly two weeks of being around the mer. Nor was he innocent. He had dreamed one too many unclean things he didn't think he was capable of imagining or even wanting. 

Hell, his blush certainly wasn't going to die any time soon. 

"Um..." continued Kageyama.

"We're borrowing one of your maps, Kageyama. Do you want to show Koushi the map you're working on with Bokuto, the one that leads us back to here?" Acting normal was never his strong suit, his question coming out stiff and his hand gesture toward the map awkward. 

"It's not, I - I don't, Bokuto-san..."

"Oh," Koushi patted his arm. "Pity the poor boy. From what I hear, he's always stumbling upon embarrassing scenes." He waved Kageyama off with a wink. "Go ahead, Kageyama-kun. Hinata is waiting."

Pity the poor boy, indeed, Daichi thought as the navigator's face burned tomato red and he rushed past them to hop off the ship.

Koushi giggled again, crinkling the skin at the corners of his eyes. "You're too cute, Daichi." 

 _Pity me instead._ He groaned aloud and crashed his forehead to the table. 

 

**~~~~**

 

Helping Koushi off the ship was a lot easier than getting him on. Daichi had spluttered when Koushi had offered the solution and cringed when he finally tipped the container over the side of the ship. Koushi had fallen gracefully into the water, stretching out into a perfect dive just before he breached the surface. He didn't breathe a sigh of relief until Koushi resurfaced and waved at him before heading off. 

Falling back onto the stool, Daichi wiped his brow and allowed himself to catch his breath. He was exhausted. Keeping up with Koushi's questions and wonder was difficult, but Daichi felt it was time well spent, a worthy exhaustion. 

He heard the yelps of Noya and Hinata as they played in the sand. While he couldn't hear what they were saying, he could hear bits. Daichi wiped his brow once as he heard Hinata call for Kuroo's name. 

There was something he had to do. He had spent too long avoiding it, but Daichi was the kind to feel responsible for others. It was what made him a great leader, but also what burdened him at times. He dreaded every step he took down the ladder and when his feet was encased by the shallow sand.   

He trudged across the sand, barefoot for once, towards the carpenter who was hacking at the last fallen tree.

"Kuroo." Daichi had finally reached him. 

"Whatever it is, I didn't do it." Kuroo crowed, pausing long enough to wink at him.

"Not yet, you haven't." Daichi sighed, but then it was hard to hear his low tone over the sound of striking wood.

He came to a stop a few feet away from Kuroo and his axe and waited until the other stopped.

"There's something I want to talk to you about," he said, "as a concerned friend."

"Uh oh." Kuroo tsked, setting down his axe on the log. He wiped sweat off his forehead before resting his hands on his hips. "Do we need to have The Talk, Commander? Because I know next to nothing about interspecies sex, go ask Iwaizumi. Just be safe, ya hear?"

"Kuroo," he admonished and strengthened the firmness behind it. "I'm concerned about you and your mer."

The smirk on the other's face didn't falter, and one thin inky eyebrow raised itself. "You're not jealous now, are you, Daichi? After all, you've got the prettiest one. What's there to be concerned about?"

There was no better way to say it, and with Kuroo acting like this, it was clear he was sensing what Daichi wanted to say.

"I know you're a good guy, that's not the question here. It's - I talked to Koushi, and I heard Kenma's the youngest. Really young, Kuroo, about nineteen --"

"We're not doing anything like that; I'm not an idiot. I know he is, and if you're so concerned, why aren't you talking to Bokuto about this? Keiji is barely older than Kenma."

"I'm only warning you, Kuroo. It's too easy to sway someone so young, even without meaning to." Daichi crossed his arms, a final defense against the dark look in Kuroo's eyes.

He didn't always enjoy being the strict person aboard the ship, naval history or not. Daichi knew his words were borderline offensive, but they needed to be said. He wouldn't let the hurt lurking at the back of Kuroo's pupils weaken him as it had done in the past.

"Thanks for your concern, Sawamura, but I can take care of this myself." His gold, narrow eyes were heavy on Daichi, but Daichi returned the glare as best as he could. With utter silence, Kuroo picked up his axe again and began swinging.

"Please, be careful." Daichi relaxed his stance as the guilt started to weigh onto him. "I don't want to see you hurt either."  
 

**~~~~~~~~**

 

His shamishen was broken beyond repair, but the logs Bokuto was focusing on chopping down weren't the right material to build a new one.

The dismal nonexistence of his shamishen aside, Bokuto couldn't keep a smile off his face.

Bokuto attempted to kiss butterflies that fluttered around him while doing extra work on his day off and Keiji was with his brothers. 

Things hadn't changed much between Keiji and him in the past few days other than Bokuto was frequently blinded by the mer's smiles, winded by his laughs, and excited by the decreasing distance between them. They sat next to each other now. Just this morning, Keiji had fed him some underwater plant-berry-seaweed thing. It was strange, and Bokuto didn't actually like it but he didn't have the heart to tell Keiji outright. He was more focused on the fact that Keiji _fed_ him. With fingers. To his lips. Bokuto had melted then and his swinging faltered now as he thought about it.

Keiji had chuckled at the face Bokuto made due to the overwhelming salty berry. It was innocent enough that Bokuto had been able to cool before he overheated.

 _Thank you._ _Thank you, Captain. Thank you, Tooru. Thank you, Sea Goddess._ He tried to catch a falling leaf; it was young, green, and reflected the sunlight off its shiny coating _._ _Thank you, universe, for bringing me to Keiji._

They talked more freely now. Instead of only talking about himself to fill dead silence or the inner workings of Seijoh, Bokuto was delighted to hear more about the mer. In a few short days, Bokuto had learned Keiji's favorite food, seen the changing colors in his midnight tail (sometimes they shifted towards silver despite the small gold flecks in each scale), and watched Keiji speak with more energy than ever when talking about a nearby owl.

Bokuto regaled wild stories of stupid (brilliant, in his opinion) things he had done in his youth. They also talked about the future, briefly, but enough so that Bokuto was inspired. It was this inspiration which led him to where he was, cutting down trees by himself under the blazing sun.

These logs weren't needed for the ship, seeing as most of the trees the crew took were already cut up into the thin planks to patch up the ship. Kuroo was probably sanding those right now. Since if Keiji was spending time with his brothers, Kenma was most likely as well. Or maybe Kuroo was already getting started on the last log with Tanaka. They weren't talking again, but it didn't bother Bokuto as much as before. Kuroo would come around. Hopefully. Bokuto tried not to dwell on it too much, focusing more on his task and the brand new alternative  future he had found.

"Why are you chopping down extra wood?"

Bokuto yelped and nearly dropped his axe. He spun around to find Kuroo leaning against a tree trunk, arms crossed.

He gulped, unease settling in his stomach and fearing how long Kuroo had watched him grin at nothing. The guilt came in next as Kuroo scanned at the two already fallen logs. 

Their trunks were slimmer, their height not as tall, their flexibility unfit for a ship. No one could ever doubt Kuroo's expertise when it came to wood, and despite the question, Bokuto knew his best friend had figured him out. 

"We have enough for the ship and firewood to last us six months." The gold in Kuroo's eyes were burning, finding answers Bokuto was afraid to provide. "What do you need these for, Bo?"

"Well... you see," an awkward laugh escaped him, "I talked to Keiji and he said it was fine and I was just thinking -- This is really just a daydream, but I was thinking -- I, um, It's just some extras for --"

"Save it." Kuroo growled and pushed off the tree he was leaning against. His arms swung by his sides as he came closer, near Bokuto's face. The golden fire in his eyes was too close, and Bokuto wanted to wither. He hadn't seen Kuroo this angry in a long time. Bokuto's brain could hardly remember much with the guilt and nerves creeping up his veins. The most he could remember was that an Angry Kuroo was never a Good Kuroo. He could tell the fire was just starting to burn, and he desperately tried to find a way to diffuse it. 

"You're seriously thinking of staying here?" His best friend spat. "What do you plan on doing? Here, by yourself?"

"It was just an idea!" Bokuto tried waving his hands, a dumb effort to fan the flame. "And, well... Yes."

He couldn't deny it, not with the sweat dripping down his brow and the evidence all around him. Because in addition to the logs, there were already the braiding of vines and twigs to form a roof but Bokuto hadn't spent long on that. (He wasn't the best at it.)

"You're fucking kidding me. You're going to throw away your future, the best version of yourself you could possibly be, the dream you always longed for? And for what, for _who_?" Kuroo hissed, and Bokuto could see his open palms twitch. "For someone you met _two weeks ago?_ "

"Keiji is ..." He dropped his gaze, staring at the ground, and whispered. Despite his best friend seething in front of him, Bokuto felt no shame in admitting the feelings residing in his heart.

"Two weeks, Bokuto! Two! And you're already throwing away everything for him. How desperate are you to hide from yourself?" Kuroo finally reached out and gripped him by the shoulders. As someone who worked with harsh, splintering wood, his hands were strong enough to squeeze Bokuto's dense muscles and fiercely shake him. He then released Bokuto with such force, as though it burned Kuroo to touch, like the disappointment laced Bokuto's sweat.

"You think I don't understand? I'm _tired_ , Bokuto." The heavy breaths of Kuroo filled the air. 

Before Bokuto could reach out, seize the moment and find peace between them again, Kuroo turned away.

"These past two weeks with the mers, I get it, they've been... wonderful, exhilarating. Every time I talk to Kenma, I feel lighter, but do you see me throwing myself at him? I know where I belong, Bokuto, and that's on the ship."

"Well," Bokuto felt his shoulders tense with the goddamn hypocrisy Kuroo was spilling. "You let him touch your locket. You _gave_ him your locket. You never let anyone hold it, let alone keep it, not even _me_..."

The death of their -- Kuroo's -- parents was something they never really spoke of, a wound they let time conceal and scar. Even though it had been so long, Bokuto could feel tears prick at the back of his eyes from the stress, from the guilt, from the shameful thought he was giving up on their dream, too. The dream they gave to Bokuto. "I loved them, too."

"So... Yeah. I'm thinking about staying. Here, on the island with the mers, with Keiji," Bokuto blinked back tears the best he could, "and I'm sorry, Testurou."  

He could feel his heart breaking, as though a final and eternal separation was impending in front of them. "... But I don't think you can tell me what to do anymore. Where you belong doesn't have to be the only home you found after they died, it's with who you love."

He picked up his axe off the ground and went back to work because he couldn't bear to watch Kuroo walk away.

When he could no longer hear his best friend's retreating footsteps, the tree fell.  
 

**~~~~~~~~**

 

He laughed with the others while clapping his hands, keeping up with the rhythm Bokuto had set. Around the camp fire, Daichi chased after their cook. Koushi watched as the quartermaster finally caught Tanaka in the crook of his arm, rubbing his knuckles against the shaved head.  

Hinata and Noya rolled on the floor, clutching their bellies with laughter. Meanwhile, Bokuto skipped around them and banged his twin drums with an open palm.  

Beside him, Tooru stretched across where the tide pool met sand. His back arched and chin propped as he giggled at the others with Iwaizumi. His lover reclined back on one elbow, a knee raised and the other leg extended, to direct a soft smile at him. 

Koushi sighed as his brother continued to be adorable with his chosen mate in the corner of his eye. Straight across from him, on the farther side of the fire, Daichi released Tanaka only to grab Kageyama instead and give the same treatment. This had Iwaizumi yelling it was due punishment for his brother always waking up late, and Tooru cackled. 

Enjoying evening meals with the pirates had become common. The relaxed atmosphere, the casual joking, and sharing of food had created a sense of comfort among of all them, bringing them closer together. Koushi smiled each night and his observations became less keen. He preferred living in each moment, anyway, careful watching wasn't his strong suit like it was for his brothers. 

Koushi also preferred the opportunity to watch Daichi interact with the crew and clap his hands to whatever song Bokuto played. His back may have been to the ocean, and his gaze softened, but Koushi remained aware. He knew when an another mer entered the tidal pool. 

However, when the solid chest pressed against his back, a chin set on his shoulder, and a tail wrapped around his own, he thought it was Kenma at first. 

Except the tail twisted around his was loose and twitching. The hair at the edge of his vision dark and short. Before he could greet his brother, the drums ceased and a sudden shout filled the air. 

"KEIJI!" 

The beach paused. 

Keiji shifted to float beside him but kept a tail around Koushi as Bokuto bounded over to the tidal pool. 

With a plop onto his knees, Bokuto stuck out a finger and grinned at his friends. "Guys, this is Keiji!" 

Koushi wrapped a tight arm around him, nodding. "Third in the pod, and its guardian." 

Iwaizumi was the first to move, sitting upright and folding his legs together. He bowed his head forward. "It's a pleasure to meet you officially." 

The beach chattered again with Hinata bouncing up and shouting a greeting, immediately calling Keiji a senpai. 

Noya nudged Tanaka's side to say, "See. I told you all the mers would be pretty. It must be in their blood. Pay up," before giving a greeting followed by a grumbling Tanaka.

Asahi addressed Keiji first before nodding sagely at Tanaka. "It is possible," he said. "The Nishinoya family is a prime example." 

Keiji nodded in return to all their greetings, keeping his gaze narrowed. Koushi and Tooru grinned anyway.  Their brother had a long way to go, but his progress was faster than either of them had predicted. Tooru, in particular, had his best "I told you so" smile. 

Koushi's own smile grew bigger than his when Bokuto leaned over and landed a loud smack of his lips on Keiji's cheek. 

Watching Keiji's eyes widen, Koushi sent a similar message back at Tooru with a wink. 

 _What was it Noya said? Oh, right._ Pay up.   

 

**~~~~~~~~**

 

Kuroo couldn't get rid of the feeling.

As though the wood varnish he so loved had been painted up his arms and neck and he couldn't wash it off. It made him itch and squirm.

He hated it.

He hated it but couldn't shake it.

The only thing that aided in his discomfort was the spewing of every insult he knew aimed at his two best friends and pacing up and down the beach.

Every other word from Kuroo's mouth was 'asshole,' 'damn blockhead,' and 'fuck him, and fuck him too'.

Kenma had asked which one of his friends was the asshole and who was the blockhead before implying his insults were of low caliber. The only smile Kuroo cracked was at the mer insults Kenma had offered instead but it was a short reprieve. He was mostly reminded that Kenma had stayed by his side despite his intelligible tirade.

Kuroo had tried at first, to sit and converse with Kenma as he always did, but the awful slicked feeling he had was bright red for Kenma to see. The mer had taken it upon his face to point it out, demanding what had troubled him. He couldn't properly respond at their tidal pool.

He also didn't want to face the strain his behavior was putting on the young mer.

 _Young_. _He's young_. Kuroo bitterly recalled the "concerned" tone of Daichi.

Scoffing, Kuroo got up for a walk and wasn't surprised to find Kenma followed.

They walked, or rather, Kuroo stormed down the east side of the beach while Kenma leisurely swam close to the shore.

The sand became smoother, whiter as he continued. The waves crashed and rolled, wiping the sand into flat expanses that Kuroo dug into with the heels of his feet. At the forest's edge, vibrant flowers spotted rich green foliage. The beauty of it all worsened as the sun slowly moved towards the end of the sky, hovering over the drop. It did nothing to help Kuroo's mood.

He turned back around, nearing their tidal pool again only to pass it with a huff as Tanaka started a fire. The rest of the crew were slowly creeping towards it, ready for their nightly celebrations. Kuroo found he didn't want to join the festivities, either, not when the two people who had spilled oil atop his head were going to be there.

"I'm sorry, Kenma. I don't like to talk like this in front of you." Kuroo breathed out as his pace and spewing slowed.

Despite being some meters away in the water, he could see Kenma shrug. The mer's expression was still slightly concerned. Kuroo could only focus on the discomfort the mer may have been feeling.

At the tidal pool, their actions felt dry and stale, not like their usual flow and he knew Kenma felt it. The awful sensation was probably what forced Kenma poke his forehead and tell him to cease his falsehoods.

They were far from the camp now and the sun was just starting to touch the edge of the world. The others were probably well into dinner. Ignoring the gnawing in his stomach, Kuroo ran a hand through his hair before tugging on a few strands.

_One problem at a time._

Sighing, he stopped in his tracks and blinked his eyes.

Kuroo wanted to walk into the sea and wash away the oil.

To him, Kenma was his sea.

The only person who could possibly understand and listen.

 

 

Mellow oranges and yellows of the setting sun did little to hide the harsh glare of Kuroo's eyes or the hunch in his stance.

Kuroo kicked up sand with his boots as he stood in place.

"I just don't know how to get through to Bokuto... It doesn't help that Daichi is riding my as-- is being nosy and thinking he knows what's best for everyone."

He knew Kuroo couldn't see it, but Kenma hoped their connection was only paused not severed so he sent the human a pointed look.

"Ugh," Kuroo threw up his hands, and Kenma allowed himself a small breath of relief. "I know. I know. I'm doing the exact same thing and butting into Bo's business. I just hate the thought of something going wrong, and I won't be there to fix it."

Coming closer to the sand, Kenma pushed himself up the rocky bank. Kuroo sat down where the tips of incoming waves touched the toes of his boots, washing his hands in the water and over the small stones. It was far rockier on the western side of the island, with less sand, due to the densest part of the Alopias being close.

"Everyone needs the freedom to make their own mistakes, Kuroo."

With arms wrapped around bent knees, Kuroo emitted a sound of protest from the back of his throat. It was yet another scoff, Kenma noted, but even as Kuroo frowned and looked away, Kenma knew he was considering Kenma's suggestion.

When Kuroo and Kenma had met for the evening, the pirate had been agitated and sour. He didn't smile, or tease Kenma, or anything Kenma had learned to expect from him. It was stifling.

Kenma, for once, felt as though their interactions were rough as Kuroo's mind was elsewhere. The ocean didn't help, as the forceful tides had ceased to abate. Kenma slithered his tail against the pebbles and heavy stones, appreciating the itch they soothed in his scales.

Reveling in the sensation of the sharp points lightly scraping his scales, he kept doing this as Kuroo thought with a pinch between his brows.

Kenma had forgotten why they didn't visit the west side of the --

The west side of the island.

The densest and closest part of the Alopias.

The one place no pirate on Seijoh was supposed to discover.

His eyes widened. A huge wave surged behind him and crashed on the rocks. How could he have forgotten?

"Kuroo." He reached out to shake the pirate's knee. "Kuroo, let's get back. It's getting dark."

The words died on his lips.

 

 

"Hey, is that... driftwood?" Kuroo squinted at the object bobbing on small waves heading towards them.

It was probably the remnant damage from when Seijoh crashed. Yet, its presence bothered him.

The object took over his focus, tunneling it, and his body moved of its own accord. Getting up without brushing off the sand that clung to his pants, he didn't glance at Kenma who was frozen by his interruption.

Stepping a few feet into the water, where it rose to the top of his boots atop smooth stones, the driftwood floated to his feet.

Kuroo picked up the weathered board. It _was_ driftwood. Gnarled, jagged, worn down driftwood. Once a smooth, long board that had shaped the side of a ship, it still held onto a few flecks of paint.

Driftwood wasn't uncommon to find in the ocean. Kuroo could recall times sitting in the middle of the sea and finding wood just like this.

It wasn't uncommon, but Kuroo felt a cold drop at the back of his tongue.

The island was so untouched, almost like it was hidden by magical energy. It _did_ take Tooru's guidance for them to find the island.

He looked out towards the water again, searching for any more pieces like this. The area was crowded with rocks and his keen gaze inspected the creases between them. Kuroo shifted his feet, trying to get a better grip against the strong tide when his boot rolled over a loose stone. He reached down, scooping it up along with a few other rocks so his feet could firmly plant themselves. Kuroo opened up his palm to inspect the rock in the dying light of the sun, but then his joints locked.

In his past, Kuroo had buried bullets in chests, slashed layers of skin and fat, and helped Asahi pull half eaten, half washed down bodies out of the water.

In the sleepless nights of his past, he had felt the rich fabric of Daichi's old naval uniform.

He threw out the other small stones. He rubbed away the clumping sand.

It wasn't a rock.

The chill at the back of his throat bolted down his spine.

His skin crawled as it felt the same fabric covering the hard expanse of bone.

 

 

Kenma was too late.

His breath was trapped in his lungs, refusing to escape from his gills. 

Long fingers of one human hand had rubbed the knotted piece of driftwood, and then Kuroo's other hand picked something else up.

He watched Kuroo's expression shift, and it dashed any last hope he was holding. Kenma knew the exact second Kuroo's jaw dropped. The human's eyes bulged in earnest, searching for Kenma, for an answer.

Words had yet to reappear in his vocal cords as they held each other's wide, horrified gaze.

"I've seen enough dead bodies." Kuroo continued to stare at him, his golden eyes turning desperate as the honey voice shook. "I know what Daichi's uniform looked like, felt the fabric."

He raised the fragment of bone and ripped cloth higher before Kenma's eyes.

Flashes of images surfaced in his vision. He remembered the color, the men, the last ship that harbored on their island. He was completely still until after these memories came. His breathing re-started with fervor now.

Kenma tried to force the images away, back into the box they were kept in. They were short flickers, fuzzy, but threatening to distract him. He had to find words, an answer to the obvious question in Kuroo's eyes.

Words escaped him without a thought. Past the blockage in his windpipe, they tumbled out as soon as Kuroo began to take a step back.

"Kuroo! It's not what you think." Kenma reached out with his senses in panic, hoping the sea would abate, throw calming mist, bolster his plea to Kuroo's ears, even give Kenma the answer.

The sea had gone still.

Kenma had ruined it all.

Because Kuroo couldn't bear to look at him and scrambled to stand, to get away from him.

Kenma had ruined everything.

Now, he had no choice. No time to think of what could possibly calm Kuroo down as the pirate sprinted away from him, not once looking back at him. Kenma dug his claws into the rocks, pressing them till it hurt.

He had to warn them.

While Kuroo rushed back to camp, Kenma sped towards his brothers.

Their destination was the same place.

With a speed he hadn't used once since the pirates crashed on the island, Kenma cut water with wind whipping his hair and the ocean spray melting on his face. He didn't need to look to know Kuroo was doing much of the same but with two legs, not a tail.

 

Neither of them cared for the beat of drums getting louder, the heat of the fire, the dying sounds of cheer.

Kenma threw his arms around Tooru mere seconds before Koushi sprang out of the water and slammed Kuroo into the ground.

He hadn't been fast enough.

 

**~~~~~~~~**

 

"They'll kill us. They're gonna -- _oof_."

It had been instinct. When the entire group heard pounding feet and the mers sensed the youngest mer cutting water towards them, they had all turned towards the missing pirate and mer. Hinata had whooped, thinking they were racing until Kuroo came closer and his expression was far from merry. 

Kuroo didn't stop, not for a second, but when his eyes landed on Tooru, his rushing steps turned into a charge. Koushi had acted then. He intercepted by throwing Kuroo off balance with enough power to steal the air in the human's lungs. 

Kuroo was not Kuroo, and Koushi did what he had always sworn to do. 

But when Kuroo landed with resounding slam, it had silenced all else.  

He retracted his canines and let his ears drop, quickly retreating into the tide pool. 

Now was no time to fight. 

In the water next to him, Keiji's hands were clawed and his body was ready to exit the pool. He pushed Keiji back with his tail the best he could. Koushi let the snarl he could not wear remain on the warrior mer's face. 

Kenma only clung to Tooru. 

The atmosphere shattered with Kuroo's declaration. 

Now was the time for diplomacy. There was too much at stake. 

Iwaizumi was, once again, the first to act. With smothering silence bearing down upon the beach, he stood up and walked over to Kuroo. He and the others helped the fallen pirate to his feet. 

"What," the captain clenched his jaw, "what are you talking about?"

Kuroo thrust the items into Iwaizumi's hands, cupped to his chest.

Beside him, Koushi heard a whimper. He knew Kenma's color was muting beneath the water as his youngest brother remained distressed. 

Kenma had begun murmuring in Tooru's arms. "Forgive me, forgive me." His voice cracked as he lifted his head to look at Koushi. "We went too far to the west."

"It's bones, Iwaizumi, and driftwood. And this?" Kuroo sounded clear. High pitched, laced with confusion and fear, but clear all the same. Koushi battled the rising fury he felt as Kenma further burrowed into Tooru, sinking lower and lower into the water. 

He inhaled a sharp breath. Koushi had to fix this. 

Kuroo held up the patch of fabric to Daichi. "Doesn't this look familiar? They've killed humans, they've crashed a ship before. Just like they did to us!"

The rest of the pirates shifted, taking steps away from the shore. Except for Bokuto. 

" _What?_ " Bokuto seethed, stalking towards the other until Asahi gripped him by the shoulders. "You're lying, Kuroo."   

"You know as well as I do. This is bone, Bokuto. _Human_ bone." 

"N-no! That's not-- you don't understand." Tooru cried, one arm still clutched around Kenma. Koushi gently took the youngest mer from him so Tooru could move closer to the edge of the tide pool and outstretch his hand for Iwaizumi.

The rest of the mers only watched, the sharp hiss of pain echoed by all of them as Iwaizumi made no move towards Tooru. Instead, the pirate captain inspected the items. The bone and gnarled plank. 

Koushi could feel Keiji's tail heat with anger in the water, his scales shifting color and glowing, as Iwaizumi's expression remained flat and kept turning the objects over in his hands. He intertwined their tails with a vice grip. 

_It was not the time._

On his other side, Kenma had begun to sob in broken breaths.

Koushi could only feel his heart, his hope for his brother, sink to the depths of the ocean.

"Explain this, Tooru." While Koushi knew not all the dips and emotions laced in Iwaizumi's tone as well as his brother, even he could tell the gruff, low voice was worried.

Tooru had become speechless after his outburst, now undecided on what to do, what to say. He searched for words to depict their side of the story, a story they all had buried deep in the past except for Keiji. Each struggling second, the shoulders of Iwaizumi drooped. His fist tightened around the bone. 

The captain finally turned to face the mers and Tooru, his face like hard stone. Beside him, Daichi's brow furrowed in confusion and his eyes dissecting each expression of the mers. No matter what expression they wore, he hoped Daichi saw they were honest. 

When he caught the gaze of Daichi, he refused to let the man look away. He had found the words Tooru and Kenma lost. 

"You won't." His words started as a whisper, but the nagging inevitable made his voice ring clear, "You won't see us again, Daichi."

One part of the truth was revealed. Now they had to share everything. Everything they should have told Iwaizumi the first day he stepped on their beach. 

"We're one of the last two mer pods in all the seas. Just us four and another pod Tooru found in the Seventh Sea last summer."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Kuroo sputtered with indignance. "Iwaizumi, they're deflecting!"

Koushi twitched and his eyes flared at the stupid, reckless, obstinate human. He could swear to the Sea Mother he was tired of hearing complaints about this pirate. Koushi had taken all of Keiji's remarks in stride in favor of Kenma, but now he could clearly see how this pirate had been causing drama on the island. 

"Be quiet, Kuroo." Daichi cut the woodmaster off. "Let them explain. We've been here two weeks,  and they have done nothing to us despite being vulnerable all this time. They've offered us food, material, and more. The least you can do is hear them out." 

He forced his body to relax again, giving a short nod of thanks to Daichi. Glancing at the others, seeing their confusion and worry in their faces, Koushi sighed a breath of relief. Not only Daichi's words but the etched pain on Iwaizumi's face. The pirate was still in love with the mer. They wouldn't be severed so easily. 

The pirates would listen. Iwaizumi would listen, and that's what mattered most. Koushi shoved aside the blame he wanted to place on the human meant for himself. He had promised Tooru the wreckage would never be found, and he had failed. 

Koushi mentally gripped the emotion that threatened to break him and swallowed it down for later when he would be alone in his garden. 

"Tooru made a deal to save our race. By the end of summer, we will return with Tooru to the Seventh Sea to join the pod and, well," Koushi shrugged for it was inevitable,  "build our numbers."

"P-procreate?" Daichi choked out the word, stunned at the thought.

"Yes." He nodded. "It will only be Tooru and I at first, but eventually, it will be expected of Keiji and Kenma as well." He could feel the youngest mer sink even further into the water.

"But, why? This doesn't explain... Tooru?" Iwaizumi took a small step forward, but still out of Tooru's reach.

"I had to know, Iwa-chan," he croaked. "I had to know if you felt the same before leaving. I had to try to find you again before I gave myself away, to know you were more than a dream." Sniffing, Tooru scrubbed at his eyes. "This wasn't the first time I tried to find you."

"Those remains are from over ten years ago." Keiji growled, and Koushi fought to hide his shock from hearing Keiji speak to the humans. He shouldn't have been surprised; this concerned all of them and Keiji's instincts were as strong as his.

"Keiji, please, calm down." Tooru's watery brown eyes shone in the appearing moonlight. "But what he says is true. Ten years ago, I heard your name on a ship. I didn't know it was a naval ship, and I didn't know you had become a pirate. It was the first time I had heard anything about you in _years_. I was so eager to find you again. I foolishly let myself be tricked." 

"We brought them here, safely," Koushi added as Tooru was overcome with sobs. "The naval officers promised they could lead Tooru to you. They said you were all good friends." He huffed at how absurd it all sounded now. "We let them camp on the island, but before night fell, they had caught Keiji and Kenma in nets while we fetched water."

"They were so young," Tooru rasped out. "The officers were terrifying, wielding spears and swords and guns, and Koushi was injured. We k-killed them, yes, but we had no choice."

"We did what we had to; we weren't going to let them take any of us. So, yes, Kuroo," Koushi never once wavered despite his disappointment in the pirate. He met Kuroo's drooping gaze head on, and he truly hoped his glare was as cold as the Seventh Sea. "We shoved their ship into the Alopias, and I bashed their heads, and I broke their bones."

"I will protect my family, Iwaizumi, I am not afraid to admit that." Koushi turned to the captain, softening as he paused, "But please, don't punish the others for my actions. Tooru had helped to crash their ship, but it was I who ended their lives."

The silence stretched as full night had descended upon them all. All of the pirates' faces were grim, and Kuroo had collapsed onto his knees, covering his face. The adrenaline had obviously run dry. 

Fed up, Bokuto broke free from Asahi's hold. He jumped straight into the water and clutched Keiji to his chest. "Y-you, you can't, Keiji! You can't go."

"Everyone, please leave." Daichi's voice, as strong as Koushi's had been, rang as he shuffled the others to the ship. He turned to nod at Koushi before following the rest of them.

As though nothing had happened, the fire crackled. 

Iwaizumi took step after another as the rest slowly dispersed, and he quickly followed Bokuto's example. He gathered Tooru in his arms and let the mer sob into the crook of his neck. His tan hand cradled Tooru's head, fingers sifting through his hair.

"I vowed to never try and find you again," Tooru hiccuped, "to never make the same mistake, but when I met the other mer pod... I had to, Hajime. I had to try and find you one last time."

Iwaizumi hushed him with a desperate kiss.

Koushi grasped Kenma's hand to pull him away, back to the safety of their cavern.

It was too intimate of a moment for either of them to see.

They had no one else to share this moment with besides each other, and Koushi could see the loss was affecting Kenma more than he would ever verbalize. 

He had to take care of Kenma now. 

Because only Koushi was to blame.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're thinking, "Whoop. There it is. I know how this is going to end now." ... I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve! 
> 
> Apologies for being late and the low quality chapter. I wrote this in a week, but then insecurity knocked and I was stuck editing (agonizing) for the remainder of the month. 
> 
> **Thank you all for being kind to me. Thank you all for reading. I truly mean that I am grateful to each and every one of you.** We're almost at the end! Just a few more chapters to go, and just as heads up, the next couple of chapters may be on the short side but I will do my best to upload them together.


	13. cool breeze in summer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, and welcome to what I fondly call "The Goodbye Arc." :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to [@astersandstuffs](http://archiveofourown.org/users/VESK/pseuds/astersandstuffs) who helped with all my weird grammar, interchanging verb tenses, and multitude of typos. Please check out her stuff (especially the bokuaka). You will be amazed! 
> 
> Also big thanks to [Dawn](http://archiveofourown.org/users/eccentrick/pseuds/eccentrick/works) for reading this chapter five times and the [Creative Support Group](http://eccentrick-stardust.tumblr.com/creativesupportgroup) as a whole for keeping me motivated.
> 
> Edit: Humongous thanks to [@deepliketherivers](http://archiveofourown.org/users/deepliketherivers/pseuds/deepliketherivers) for helping me clear up some issues in this chapter! Please check out their work if you haven't already for all your bokuakakuroo needs ;)

Iwaizumi thought his restless nights were over.  

At least, for the time he spent on the island now or in the future.

He stared in vain at the words inked across yellow paper. The room felt too hot, too humid with the open window, and while he tried to place his mind elsewhere, he felt too aware of the empty space around him. Iwaizumi could feel the wood beneath his boots, creaking whenever he shifted in his chair. The curtains swaying slightly in the breeze, the silence pressing down upon him,  compressing his lungs.

_"Tooru made a deal to save our race. By the end of summer, we will return with Tooru to the Seventh Sea to join the pod and, well—"_

_"This wasn't the first time I tried to find you."_

_"I vowed to never try and find you again, to never make the same mistake, but when I met the other mer pod... I had to, Hajime. I had to try and find you one last time."_

He pinched the bridge of his nose, desperately trying to think past the hot prickling at the back of his eyes and properly sift through the words ringing in his head.

Several times, he opened his eyes and pressed his palm against the page he had been reading, dragging it across in languid strokes. Iwaizumi had heard all these written adventures, theories, and thoughts before, but he was desperate for any other answer. Iwaizumi had hoped to find one in the wisdom of Irihata's journal.

He didn't. He couldn't focus enough to properly find one, distracted as he was by the warm sunlight against his back.

A soft knock echoed off his office door.

 _About time._ Iwaizumi took a glance out the window to discern the position of the sun. He had been expecting this, but he had expected it a bit earlier. He welcomed the distraction all the same.

He tossed aside the journal before grunting his consent for Kuroo to enter.

Kuroo had been with him for several years. He could still remember when Kuroo conned a hundred gold coins the first time they reached port together. The time Kuroo accidentally shot him in a fight. He had thought the instance when Kuroo told Kageyama to scrub the deck with handheld brushes was the worst thing he had ever done, but Iwaizumi had thought wrong. The disappointment he felt must have showed on his face. Kuroo took one glance at him and returned his gaze to his shuffling feet.

"Take a seat."

There weren't many he trusted more than Kuroo. Iwaizumi still saw the horror in those narrow, golden eyes that refused to look at him from the night before. Despite the unfounded claims, Kuroo had been honest in his shock, and the man was honest now as he bent over in the chair. Arms resting on knees, one hand curled up at the roots of hair, Kuroo had fucked up and he knew it.  

"I'm sorry," he muttered.

Iwaizumi pursed his lips and leaned back in his chair, pressing the pads of his thumbs together as his hands folded in his lap.

He had seen Kuroo in several various instances. Post-coital after a night with Sawamura (he never wanted to see that again), tired after a sleepless night in the early dawn and working on the ship before Iwaizumi himself was up, laughing with Bokuto, teasing Hinata, and the few tears that once leaked when Kuroo thought he had lost his locket in a battle. Iwaizumi had never seen him like this.

Kuroo had been bested by his own game. Always prodding into people's business, and never before had he been bit harder in the ass. For once, it was not him who was helping to heal others. Kuroo had caused the damage this time.

Iwaizumi wasn't interested in beating an already beaten man. Especially when Kuroo had lost, too.  

"I won't fault you for looking out for the safety of the crew," he breathed out in a sigh, "but you should have listened before making accusations."

Kuroo barely moved enough to nod his head, to mutter another apology, an "I know."

"You will apologize to the mers." He continued despite the flinch that flashed on Kuroo's features. "Yes, all of them, even Keiji." This next one would hurt Kuroo more, and Iwaizumi drew a breath to strengthen himself. There was simply no better way to put what Kuroo already knew. "Although, you could hold off speaking to him for now since Bokuto doesn't want to see you. They've actually gone off deeper into the island. They won't be back for a few days."

The hand ready to pull at his own hair slid down to bury his face, and Iwaizumi saw rather than heard the sharp inhale Kuroo took.

Kuroo and Bokuto.

Bokuto and Kuroo.

It was never one and not the other; Iwaizumi had some faith about them that Kuroo most likely wasn't feeling.  

"He'll get over it, though, once you apologize and give up the school idea." Kuroo peeked at him in surprise, and Iwaizumi returned it with a stern look he had yet to give Kuroo that morning. "Yes, I figured it out, Kuroo, and Bokuto has obviously chosen a different path. You need to leave it alone."

Another breath, another slow exhale Iwaizumi saw before Kuroo nodded, slower this time.

It was all Iwaizumi had to say, everything else was left up to the man sitting across from him. He kept his hands in his lap, thumbs still pressed together, and resisted the urge to tap his foot to the rhythm of a dark tune. Iwaizumi waited for the Kuroo he knew, the one who took each blow with stride by hopping over each one. The one who was usually calm, watching and thinking, the one whose rationality won each time and left his emotions for sleepless nights.

Iwaizumi had personally hoped some parts of Kuroo would crack upon meeting Kenma. After all, anyone could see the fondness in Kuroo's eyes, but it hadn't happened in the way Iwaizumi, or anyone, had wished.

With time, the hand hiding Kuroo's face slid down to rest back on his knee and Kuroo lifted his head to stare blankly at Kageyama's smaller desk in the corner.

"Yahoo, Tobio-chan~ Where's your grumpy captain?" The two of them snapped their attention to the open window. "Don't tell me you're afraid of me now, are you?"

Iwaizumi's heart constricted. He couldn't see Tooru's face, but he could imagine the diamond smile, hard and teasing, bracing for impact.

Through the thick door, they could vaguely hear Kageyama stutter through a profuse denial and an explanation of Iwaizumi's whereabouts. He could picture Tooru's pout as he closed his eyes and pinched his nose again.

"What are you going to do?" It was the gentlest question Kuroo could have asked, but the answer threatened to tear Iwaizumi apart more than any storm.  

He stared at Irihata's journal entry from nearly a decade prior, the page open to details of Seijoh's time in the Seventh Sea.

"There is nothing I can do."

 

**~~~~**

 

When he left his office and jumped down onto the beach, Iwaizumi slowly trailed behind a whooping Noya.

"Don't you worry about a thing, Captain, I'll create the best spectacular fit for a king." Noya thumped his chest in two sharp smacks before bounding off to tell the news to Asahi.

Watching Noya run away with enthusiasm springing every step was enough to make Iwaizumi crack a small smile. He waved to his other crew members who gave him encouraging smiles, but he could tell in their eyes that there was sorrow echoed in his own heart.

Instead of joining them, Iwaizumi continued walking aimlessly along the shore, staring at his feet all the way.

He didn't realize when he walked too close to one of the tidal pools until he stubbed his toe. As Iwaizumi hissed out a curse, a patch where sunlight had gathered in the water reflected into his eyes.

When he took a step back, Iwaizumi recognized the shockingly bright yellow hair floating in the water, like a flower along the gentle ripples of the tide.

"Kenma?" he called out. Iwaizumi hadn't been expecting the youngest mer to come near any of the pirates for some time. "Kenma, everyone can see you with hair like that."

Wide golden eyes rose out of the water a fleck at a time.

He met Kenma halfway by coming closer to the pool and taking care to kneel on a rock that was not Kuroo's usual spot.

"I'm sorry for what happened to you," Iwaizumi started, bitterly remembering the details of their past learned the night before. If the crew weren't dead already, Iwaizumi would have abandoned their search for the chalice in favor of hunting down the disgusting humans. "I'm also sorry if you were forced to relive some memories last night."

Kenma only shook his head. The blond hair around him, although heavy, swayed at the motion. It was strange to see Kenma surrounded by such a bold color that highlighted his metallic eyes further, but the look also make Iwaizumi grin. As shocking as it was, the color undoubtedly suited the younger mer.

"I'm fine." The words are whispered just under the first layer of water, but Iwaizumi still understood.

Kenma had been young, and from what Iwaizumi had learned, it was mostly Keiji who held onto the bitter memories. Still, the tears that had poured from those saucer-like eyes proved the youngest mer had remembered the fear, a fear Kuroo had caused to resurface.

Tobio was similar to Kenma, Tooru had told him. In that moment at high noon, he could see why his partner thought so. Iwaizumi reached out slowly to pat his newly dyed head. It was hard to ruffle the wet hair, so Iwaizumi only soothed the strands.

Kenma had closed his eyes and leaned into the touch, the very act adding another splinter into Iwaizumi's heart. Loving Tooru meant loving all his brothers. Tooru wouldn't be the only one he would have to tell goodbye.

"Do you have to go?" Kenma asked him, looking directly into Iwaizumi's eyes.

He felt as though Kenma was seeing through him, prying his skin apart from his bones in search of some honesty, some hope that made Iwaizumi sob internally. His lungs protested as he tried to find the words and tone to be both gentle and firm.

Kenma reached raised a hand to touch the jewelry hanging around his neck.

"I have a crew of twenty men who won't make it on land. They need me like you need Tooru." Iwaizumi allowed himself to look at Kenma's blond locks instead, running his fingers over them. "Forgive me, Kenma, but it looks like you might have to give back that locket after all."

Iwaizumi heard the chains of the locket crunch in a small fist.

 

**~~~~~~~~**

 

The shrill shriek of an insult accompanied each downpour of water Tooru sent his way.

He didn't like it, but Kuroo took each and every splash. The water had been warm in the beginning until a chill started to seep into his bones. Each new wave sent by a powerful blue tail only added to it. His clothes were beyond soaked, supersaturated with saltwater.

Kuroo also didn't understand the insults being thrown his way but he had learned that Kenma was right. Mer insults were far more colorful.  

Standing stock still, Kuroo had lost count how many times Tooru had rained water upon him but once the chill had settled, so had the slight hurt. He wasn't close to Tooru by any means, but Kuroo had thought they clicked in a way that was similar and different from the way he and Bokuto often bantered. Bokuto was often too kind hearted to spew bitterness in cleverly laid conversations, but Tooru... Kuroo was convinced the mer was the embodiment of salt.

Luckily for Tooru, he had once thought, Iwaizumi loved nothing more than the sea, so Kuroo didn't think the salt would be a problem.

A lull between waves of water lapsed, and Kuroo dared to open his eyes. They were already slightly burning so he hoped Tooru wasn't just waiting the right moment to strike.

No splash came. When he could open his eyes fully without itching to squeeze them shut again, he found Tooru floating in the water with his arms crossed, wearing a pout and withering look. How Tooru could perfectly express hurt and haughtiness simultaneously only confirmed his previous thoughts about the mer. Tooru was probably the Sea Mother in disguise.  

Kuroo shook out his hair as he waited to hear another verbal berating from Tooru.

He only received a strident trill. The sound also made his ears bleed, but Tooru had disappeared into the water immediately after. Kuroo would rather suffer his ringing ears and confusion than another round of intense mer-induced waves.

Glancing around the mostly vacant beach, Kuroo rubbed at his ears. The chill attached to his skin was beginning to wear off as well as the sun warmed him and the breeze ceased. Still, Kuroo began to peel off his shirt.

"On the behalf of your captain, he said he will forgive you. I suspect it is also in part because he enjoys your conversations around the fire,” a crystal voice, clear yet jagged, said. Kuroo felt another chill although there was no soft wind. "Your _usual_ conversations."

Kuroo winced at the insinuation. It only encouraged his want to hide in his drenched white shirt that was halfway off. He had to finish removing it, though.

"Um," he blinked, aiming his gaze somewhere above the silver head of hair. "Thank you for the translation. I..."

I'm sorry, he wanted to say, but instead he cursed himself. Kuroo had expected apologizing to Koushi would be difficult. Just... not this difficult.

A pale hand waved off his word folly. "I echo Tooru's sentiments -- even if he's being petty. Don't fret about it."

He finally met the normally mischievous amber eyes that glared at him sharper than any axe he had ever used. There was no mischief to be found.

"Still, I—" Kuroo swallowed past his discomfort. He had rehearsed this. "I grievously insulted you, and I apologize."

"Oh, it's fine. Hopefully, I didn't hurt you too much when I knocked you down." Kuroo detected no real remorse in his tone.

Koushi smiled, but Kuroo's stomach only rolled in unease. The usually sweet smile was harsher than the crude insults Tooru had used. Like in Koushi's eyes, Kuroo found none of the mer leader's usual mirth.

There was only outright threat.

Koushi was anything but the angel Daichi so believed the mer to be. He was the siren mer that lured thousands to their just death, who Kuroo was currently trying to hide the obvious shaking of his hands from. Of course, Koushi had seen it when Kuroo attempted to casually hide his hands behind his back and the mer's grin widened further.

The mer had accepted his apology, and that was all that mattered in the end, shaking nerves regardless. He took a step back, keeping his head low.

It wasn't the fear of Koushi that had Kuroo afraid, not entirely.

Kuroo had been a fool, but he knew a fool in love. Three of them, actually. All of his closest friends, completely in love with a mer. Their love could have grown strong like an oak, but Kuroo had taken his axe and splintered its trunk in two.

"It was a blow, but my tailbone will recover." Kuroo tried to offer a playful grin in return.

The leader of the mers, aside from effectively conveying a threatening message to Kuroo who was not easily threatened, was offering an extension of peace Kuroo would be even more of a fool to not reciprocate.

"Sorry. Again. I'll, um, I'll just—" With his shirt tightly gripped in one hand and the other picking at the wet fabric of his pants, Kuroo took another few steps back.

“Kuroo.” 

He briefly wondered why people always said his name like that. Perhaps Koushi really was perfect for Daichi. The tone Koushi used was eerily similar to the quartermaster’s whenever he began to lecture Kuroo. Gone was Koushi’s smile, however, and it brought Kuroo’s thoughts to a halt. The lack of a threatening smile relaxed the entirety of Koushi’s expression aside from the firm press of his lips together. 

“You owe nothing to Tooru. The truth would have been revealed regardless, and he knows this. He’s upset with you because you ruined his chance to tell Iwaizumi. In reality, he’s upset with himself.” It was grimace; a soft one that darkened Koushi’s eyes and Kuroo feared it more than the threatening smile. “Tooru would have never told Iwaizumi, not until it was too late. I suppose I should thank you for doing it for us.” 

The smile returned, but it was a small twist of the mer’s lips, wry yet undeniably grieving. 

“What was it your captain told you this morning? You were protecting your family, and I hope you will not fault me for protecting mine either.”

“Of course not, I—” 

A pale hand rose out of the water with a slight wave. “You did not insult us, but you  _ did  _ hurt us by misunderstanding our intentions. One of us, especially.” Kuroo, despite the knife twisting in his chest, was never more glad to see the hardened glint in Koushi’s eyes. “Tooru will think nothing of what happened in a few days. And I have more faith in humans than you give me credit for, but Kenma... He doesn’t trust easily, until he met you.”   

“And I broke that trust.” Kuroo whispered. 

“Not entirely.” Koushi shrugged. “Fractured it, but it will heal, and _ I _ trust you will be the one to mend it. He cares about you. I pray I am not wrong when I say you feel the same.”  

Kuroo gripped the shirt in his hands as he forced himself to meet Koushi’s steady gaze. 

He only turned to walk away when Koushi nodded his release. Koushi still wore the same sad smile, but it broadened slightly when Kuroo began to leave.  

Kuroo refused to be a fool any longer. He knew his place, and he knew he was not entirely forgiven. He does, however, understand he was offered a reprieve, a small second chance to right things with Kenma. 

He would listen this time.

He would listen to the one person who deserved to be heard the most.

 

**~~~~**

 

After suffering a tsunami and a near panic attack as compensation, Kuroo had gone back to the ship to change out of his soaking wet clothes and returned to the beach.

Although Kuroo suspected it was only because of Iwaizumi that Tooru had let him off easy, and for Daichi that Koushi did not murder him. Tooru, at least, had outright forgiven him. And Koushi didn't slam his head on the rocks. Kuroo felt as though he could breathe just a bit easier than he had in the morning.

Two out of four; a fifty percent success rate.

He knew approaching Bokuto and Keiji now was ill-advised.

 _Let it go_ , Iwaizumi had told him.

Kuroo was trying. All the fight he had was drained the moment he saw Kenma cry. It hurt, but Iwaizumi was right. Kuroo needed to release the past. To do that, he needed time before he could see Bokuto, too. Bokuto was always more fluid when it came to change, constantly adapting despite how change could strain him. It was Kuroo who was stubborn.

The two of them had changed. Kuroo had to realize that, and he suspected they had begun to differ long before coming to the island.

He pulled at the ends of his hair for the umpteenth time that day. It was better than beating at his own chest, though, because there was an ache when he thought of his best friend.

Two days. That's how long he suspected Bokuto and Keiji would take to return. Two days for him to mull over every mistake, every forceful push he had given to his best friend. Two days, he thought, was enough. Because at the end of two days, he knew Bokuto was still the closest thing he had to a brother.

For now, there was someone else for him to focus on. Someone he _needed_ to focus on, entirely, and Kuroo needed to start right now.

Every day before dinner for the past two weeks, Kuroo made the trek to one spot. He had no intentions of breaking the routine, not until Kenma asked him to leave.

Seeing Kenma there in the tidal pool should have been surprising. But seeing Kenma there was like knowing the tree leaves returned each spring, a sort of pleasant reassurance that belonged. The tide pool had been Kenma's favorite place long before Kuroo, and it would still be long after him.

It was his favorite place too, so Kuroo sat down in his usual seat and watched Kenma in quiet.

From the past two weeks, he knew Kenma knew he was there. Kenma would always know, and this time, Kuroo would not say a word until he had carefully constructed the only words that would matter. Kenma listened to so much more than just words.

He had to make them count.

Kuroo had meant what he had told Bokuto the day before. No one understood him better than Kenma. He was tired all the time, but with Kenma, he forgot the pain in his joints, the ache of loneliness in chest. Aside from Bokuto, Kuroo sought to repair what he broke with the one who held his locket more than the rest.

It would be almost an entire day from the events of last night, but for Kuroo, it felt almost a year ago. At the present moment, he felt suspended in time, trapped in the slowly oncoming sunset.

Kenma was the sunset; a myriad of colors, bright yellow like his hair, pink from his cheeks, the transitive state between orange and red of tail. Agitated in some ways by the indication of his swirling tail, the way the sun was resisting the coming of eve. Yet, calm and waiting in the steady of his breathing apparent through bubbles rising to the surface. Because the dusk was comforting and familiar to Kuroo, and so was Kenma.

Bokuto had been right about one thing, though.

Kenma felt like home.

He gave himself three breaths to put together the last of his thoughts. Kuroo was always a careful, planned person. It was... steadying to return to that mindset, but precarious all the same.

It was this risk that Kuroo couldn't make it to the third inhale.

"I've thought about it," on the second breath, he had went for it, "why you were drawn to me instead of the others."

He took the third breath when he saw the tips of Kenma's ear twitched. "It's because I listen the way you do, because I think, to some degree, we understand each other."

Did he really have the same observation skills as a mer who supposedly has spiritual powers? No, but he listened to people. It was a skill he was supposed to be good at until his recent actions proved otherwise.

He was out of breaths, though he had to finish.

"I didn't listen to you last night, and Kenma... I'm _sorry_. I can do nothing other than swear to you I'll always listen. I won't let last night happen again." Kuroo hunched over, resting his elbow on his knee and resisting the urge to shift closer to Kenma. "You don't have to say anything or forgive me, but I would like to try if you'll let me. So, if you don't mind... I'll stay right here."

Kenma didn't say anything, just kept his head below water. The only visible parts of him were the bright colors of his hair and tail. But that was okay, Kuroo thought, because he was here to listen.

The seagulls were still crying, the ocean offered a gentle roll of water, the others were down the beach, there's a crunch of sand grating across stone with each wave, and Kenma neither rose above the surface nor sunk further below.

He kept listening to the silence between them. Kuroo hoped his remorse was conveyed in the way he rested his head in the palm of his hand and closed his eyes.

When he awakened later, the sunset was almost over and night had rushed in. His head felt heavy and forced his eyes back closed. At the back of his scalp was the harsh bite of stone. Lifting up a hand with his brows furrowed, he ran his fingers through his hair. Or, at least, he tried to.

Instead his hands found that his hair was riddled with short and tiny braids, completely wet. His eyes opened to see golden ones much like his, vulnerable and guarded all at once, hovering over him. Blond hair curtained around his face.

Kenma didn't say a thing, but he didn't have to. There was no question left in Kuroo's mind when his crush swooped down and left a small peck on his forehead before disappearing.

Kuroo knew how to listen this time.

They were far from healed, but they weren't ended just yet.

 

**~~~~~~~~**

 

Iwaizumi was waiting that night in their tidal pool, already submersed in the water.

He dunked his head several times, tried to push himself to the bottom to drown out his thoughts, his lingering fear, the pain in his heart. None of it worked. Each time he came back up to the surface, the summer night chill nipped at the droplets on his skin and his dampened hair.

Tooru hadn't shown yet.

Iwaizumi had longed for the pirate life. He never regretted his decision to leap on Irihata's ship at such a young age. No regrets, not when he was captured by the navy, not when a crew member died, not when his father had died. Iwaizumi had several regrets, more than he could count on one hand, but never becoming a pirate. He never dreamed of leaving this life.

Until now.

Until Tooru had crashed his ship and led him here and kissed him until his head felt detached.

He was in love with something else than the pirate life. He loved Tooru, and even if Iwaizumi wanted to follow Tooru to the Seventh Sea or beg for him to stay with Iwaizumi on the island, he knew it couldn't happen.

Iwaizumi had chased his dream, the one about a boy with a tail, and caught it. Now, he had to let it slip through his fingers. Like the stars losing their shine, bleeding out of the night, leaving the sky empty and alone, Iwaizumi's world lost its light.

He couldn't turn back and face the past the same way, his life as a pirate suddenly empty.

 _Where is he?_ Iwaizumi thought, his mind growing tired from chasing the same futile dreams.

Breathing out a frustrated stream of air, just short of growl, close enough to an exhausted groan, he looked up to see the waxing moon.

The moon would be full by the time they left.

He hoped the moon would turn slow, make his last nights with Tooru long, because he wasn't ready to say goodbye.

Iwaizumi thinks he felt the burning rage the Sea Mother must have had for the sky god. The moon rests in his domain, and it will not stop turning for the love between the earth and the sea.

Once more, the sky will tear apart the earth and the sea.

 

**~~~~**

 

The waves crashed against Iwaizumi's back as he rested his forearms on one of the flatter rocks, facing towards the beach. He watched his crew move around the fire and distantly heard their laughter.

He didn't feel the added weight in the wave, signifying one adult mer. It's the firm press of a cold hand between his shoulder blades that let him know Tooru was finally there.

"You've avoided me all day." He heard Tooru pout. "Now we've wasted an entire day, Iwa-chan!"

Iwaizumi steadied himself with a deep exhale, knowing Tooru will feel the tension escaping under his palm. "I had a lot to think about."

Instead of a hand, a much cooler chest pressed against him, and oddly enough, Iwaizumi didn't feel cold. Not even when Tooru rested his dripping chin on Iwaizumi's shoulder; the arms wrapped around his torso are warm in comfort.

"So did we." Tooru lowered his volume to the raspy whisper that makes Iwaizumi shiver most nights out of pleasure, but tonight, it's harrowed and desolate.

Tooru could pretend to be fine, to be his usual chipper and annoying self, but Iwaizumi knew. Twenty years of longing was filled to the brim, like a teacup spilling over, and it would soon drain out until it was empty.

Sharp claws dug into his sides. It was desperate in the way it pressured Iwaizumi's skin to break, the way their hearts were breaking.

"I love you," his voice rumbled, reverberating against Tooru's chest. The words were quiet in the stillness of the night. He knew Tooru felt each and every syllable.

"Twenty nights are not enough, but this is enough for me." Tooru pressed their cheeks together and blended the trails of salty water that do not come from the ocean.  "This moment here. I love you, Hajime."

The arms around him gripped tighter. Iwaizumi clenched the ledge of rock until he felt his own nails start to crack. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't. Twenty years for twenty nights was an awful trade, but there was no one for Iwaizumi to blame.  

With the strength of his knees, Iwaizumi forced them back into the center of the pool and twisted to switch their positions. He's sure Tooru simply allowed him to do this, knowing the full weight of the mer all too well, but the fluidity of the water helped, too. Now, it's Tooru's back against his chest and Iwaizumi can hug him tighter than ever, can hide his own face beneath the gills of Tooru's neck.

Underneath the water, small soothing scratches run along his thighs, coaxing them to grip the mer's hips. Once they're positioned in some mid-water piggyback ride, Iwaizumi cannot help the rueful grin that painted his lips against Tooru's skin. He told this to Tooru who continued his ministrations on his legs.

Their tears lingered at the edges of their eyes, and occasionally, one of their breaths would hitch at the thought of their impending separation. Otherwise, they are silent and breathing as one.

"Hajime," Tooru whispered after pressing him against a tall slab of stone for support.

They still stayed wrapped in the same embrace but with Iwaizumi's forearms pressing against the mer's collarbone. Iwaizumi added a little more pressure because despite how real Tooru feels in his arms, he felt as though the boy with a tail is a dream slipping from his grasp.

"Hajime," Tooru called for his attention again, and he hated the small sound of hope at the end of his name. "There can be another way."

"Don't. Don't even think it." He knew his grip turned harsh, but Iwaizumi wanted to shake Tooru. He had agonized all day over this. He knew what Tooru would say.

"But, Hajime—"  

"No," he growled and lifted his head to stare at the angle of Tooru's face, sees the stubborn hope Tooru always has. Iwaizumi wished he could have the same devotion his mer did. "It won't work, Tooru. I've been to the Seventh Sea once before, and I _know_." His voice was raw from the emotions he kept trapped. "They can't make it there without you. Humans can't last there, we tried. I won't ask you to leave them. I won't let you. I can't..."

" _Hajime_."

"You said it yourself, the only way you managed the Seventh Sea was because the other pod found you."

Iwaizumi felt an icy bite deeper than the summer night, reminiscent of the horror he felt during the brief week Irihata had forced them to sail to the edges of the Seventh Sea. Humans, he knew, couldn't survive there. And while the mers were strong and there was proof of a pod living there, Iwaizumi was wise enough to know the Seventh Sea was unforgiving to those who ventured its waters alone.

If he could, he would. Kuroo would. Bokuto would. Sawamura would. All of them would, but human teamwork alone wouldn't save them. Iwaizumi had yet to forget the deaths half their crew had suffered the last time they dared to trespass into the Seventh Sea.

"I can't follow you there, Tooru." The mers were strong, Iwaizumi held no doubts, but there was always strength in numbers. Three alone would barely make it. He swallowed the ache in his throat, the words he wanted to say, and forced out the broken whisper. "Your brothers will suffer if you follow me."

Tooru was the strongest, the biggest, the one who had been there before and miraculously survived.

Iwaizumi was just a lowly pirate captain who couldn't protect the one he loved most.

He didn't believe, but for the first time in his life, Iwaizumi prayed to the Sea Mother.

_Please, keep them safe._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU to all my readers. I loved your reactions last chapter. Hopefully this chapter patches some of those issues we saw but also got you in the feels. Apologies for the rough beginning, btw.


	14. tell me when

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daichi wants to know when he and Koushi can share a love divine. 
> 
> Bokuto wants... Well, he's already getting _almost_ everything he wants. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thank you to my betas for relinquishing sleep to help catch dumb mistakes riddled in the 5k crap I throw at them. That being said, it's 2AM, and if you see an error, please feel free to point it out. ^^

“Need help with that?”

 

“Thanks, Dai-san.” Noya grinned up at him. “But you’re shit with gunpowder.”

 

Scrunching up his trousers, Daichi bent his knees to get closer to Noya’s crazy concoction. He wasn’t _terrible_ with the fine dust. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have made Commander in the first place. Daichi, however, did not make magic happen with it the way Noya could.

 

Daichi surveyed the various piles of gunpowder neatly formed into little hills by Asahi upon the tarp. He gave Asahi an amused grin before rising briefly to sit beside the medic on the other side of the tarp. The two watched in silence as Noya scooped _a little bit of this_ and _a wee bit of that_ into a narrow cylinder, tap-tap-tapping the side of it to shake the contents together.

 

Contrary to popular belief, though, Daichi didn’t know how to stay quiet, and really, neither did Noya.

 

“Iwaizumi has a tall order this time.” He glanced at the several cylinders already stacked in a pyramid at the edge of the tarp. Daichi knew there was a small trunk already full and prepared in Noya’s private room.

 

Noya hummed, sticking out his tongue in concentration. He tapped the cylinder again before smirking at Daichi. “A spectacular fit for a king.” But then he clicked his tongue. “I have to hurry, though. It has to be ready for when we leave.”

 

Daichi could taste the somber aura blanketing the island. Not even the antics of Tanaka, Noya, and Hinata could combat against it, though they valiantly tried. They would be leaving in four days’ time, and it was a bitter reminder for all of them. He could tell by the drag in Iwaizumi’s steps, the lack of music at mealtime as Bokuto was nowhere to be found, and by how Kuroo never left the tide pool. Daichi had eventually resorted to covering Kuroo with a blanket and placing a pillow beneath Kuroo’s not-actually-sleeping head.

 

Perhaps they all believed that time would still if they soaked it up into their stagnant being. Except they couldn’t, and Daichi hated to be the pragmatic one in this, but their situation would not change.  

 

The sails would be dropping soon. Four tails would be turning a different direction. The two would never cross paths again.  

 

A happy but loud shout interrupted Daichi’s concerned frown.

 

“Tanaka-senpai, you’re the best!” Hinata hopped over to them with the cook close behind until they stood just before the three on the ground.

 

“Of course I am.” Tanaka puffed his chest and crossed his arms over proudly. “I always wanted to try a sand pit, ya know. Speaking of,” he crouched over Noya to lightly bump his best friend’s arm, “I’m going to open up the pit soon. Don’t want no flecks to catch fire with this.” He gestured towards the powder covered tarp.

 

Noya’s hands stopped in mid-air. His suddenly somber expression comical as he turned it towards Tanaka. “For the meat buns,” he pointed at the cylinder, “I will pause my masterpiece.”

 

Daichi choked on air. “ _Meat buns?_ ”  

 

Tanaka shrugged, and Daichi’s eyes bugged even more.

 

“You’re _baking_?”

 

Asahi, bless his soul, saw the opportunity and took it: he forcefully elbowed Daichi’s side. Daichi would get him back later (and maybe Noya too for ordering the hit).

 

“What?” Tanaka threw his hands up. “Hinata said meat buns were his favorite.”

 

“Right.” Daichi cleared his throat and struggled to return to his usual stoic face. “That’s awfully kind of you, Tanaka.”

 

He could feel the blazing eyes Noya was directing his way so he hurried to hunch over and scoop the gunpowder hills into their appropriate cartridges.

 

Assisting Asahi and Hinata to get the job done faster, Daichi hid his wince while Hinata sang a small tune about meat buns.

 

The song was familiar. Not the exact tune, but the act itself. Much in the way baking at all was was too close for comfort. Because, a long time ago, when they sailed the seas on a much larger vessel with a sizeable galley, Tanaka wasn’t the only one who worked there.

  


**~~~~**

  


The meat buns turned out a little runny, but they were pretty good for being made in an amateur sand oven even if Tanaka had to fry them afterwards.

 

Hinata showered Tanaka with compliments, _gwah_ -ing about the taste and how long it had been since he last ate one and how it was even better than the ones back home. Tanaka’s scowl had lessened with each honest exaggeration and so did Daichi’s worry.  

 

“They could have been better.” Tanaka shrugged from where he sat on the opposite side of the fire before Noya whacked the back of his head.

 

“Good as fuck for a sand oven. Next time, though, wrap them in banana leaves.” Noya shoved the rest of the bun into his mouth while Tanaka laughed.  

 

Daichi stared down at his half-eaten food. The leaves would make it taste even better, he mused, it would pair well with the heavily-laced-with-rum pork. Maybe the rum would explain Hinata’s exuberance. The kid was a lightweight even if any actual alcohol content had been burned out. Just the taste of rum would have the kid excited.

 

Hinata stretched, reaching up for the sky and then letting gravity pull him down onto his back.

 

“Hey, Dai-san.” The thunk he made when he hit the sand made Daichi's eye twitch, but he let the younger do what he wills. "Do you think Captain will want to continue looking for the chalice?"

 

Daichi shrugged. "I don't see why he wouldn't."

 

"Well, because, you know..." Hinata bit his lip, looking up at Daichi with sympathy. He was always feeling for other people.

 

"You should give Iwaizumi more credit, Hinata. Do you still want to find it?"

 

"Maybe.” Hinata sat up, uncaring as sand rained from his orange mop. “I think it'd be nice, ya know? Captain and Tooru won't be able to stay together, but... he'll have the chalice."

 

Daichi patted Hinata’s shoulder. “I think Iwaizumi is thinking the same thing.”

 

“He’s definitely thinking the same thing,” a new voice entered the conversation, halting the food war between Tanaka and Noya (and Asahi, too, by default), “but probably with more dramatics. And definitely more sex.”

 

Kuroo plopped down on the opposite side of Hinata where Daichi could glare at him for his crudeness. While Hinata gaped and stuttered, Kuroo accepted the meat bun from Tanaka.

 

“Maybe the chalice has, like, magic powers or something,” Tanaka suggested as he picked up the frying pan to pour out the sludge. He probably did it avoid the impending lecture Daichi was mentally forming. “The fountain of life-creating-bearing-whatever. Ya know, to get back with the mers.”  

 

Did Daichi know that Hinata wasn’t a child, but a man who had been living and listening to fully mature pirates for the past year and was more than likely doing adult acts with Kageyama? Yes, he did know. Did it stop him from trying to parent Hinata? Not really. After all, he often reasoned, Iwaizumi lectured Kageyama often to keep the boy in line and prepare him for these things. Who did Hinata have? Self-appointed Daichi.

 

“Oooh, good idea, Tanaka-senpai!” The youngest crew member crawled over to the other side of the now dead fire. “It _has_ to have powers if it was made from the Sea Mother. Surely, she wouldn’t let her children die, right?”  

 

He would talk to Hinata about proper protection later. There was the ugly truth of fairytales and myths he had to combat first.

 

“Hinata, the Sea Mother isn’t—”

 

“Let them.” Daichi twitched at being interrupted, again. “Let them have hope, Daichi. There’s not enough of it in the Seven Seas.”

 

Kuroo leaned back, resting on his forearms, and though half of his eyes was covered by dark fringe, Daichi shut up. Which wasn’t an easy feat, especially not when it hurt to let something like hope run rampant where there was no hope possible. Daichi knew hope. Had given a hundred speeches about it, but his past had taught him there was a limit. On the island, with the mers, hope had reached its peak.

 

Hinata was young. Daichi could barely remember being that young. At least, how it felt when he was barely twenty and steadily ranking up in a naval fleet. Perhaps hope was best kept when you’re young, Daichi thought, when you can appreciate it before it dies.

 

“I honestly think you’re going to have more wrinkles than Iwaizumi.” Kuroo fisted a bit of sand and lightly threw it at Daichi’s legs. “And then Koushi will never engage in _filthy_ acts with you.”   

 

Trust Kuroo to distract him by aggravating him. He was always good at that.

 

“Now, look at those legs. It’d be a shame if Koushi doesn’t touch them.”  

 

Daichi brushed the sand off the best he could, but it was a losing battle. He tugged off his boots, shook them out, and chucked one of them at Kuroo’s head. He readied himself to throw the other when Kuroo dodged the first.

 

“I’m just saying,” Kuroo smirked, “when are you gonna make a move? It’s not like Koushi’s gonna say no.”

 

“He… he said that?” Daichi lowered his boot. “You talked to him?”  

 

Daichi knew it was summer, but he was really starting to hate this intense heat in his face.

 

“Well, I wouldn’t particularly say we talked, but I see the way he stares at your thighs.” Daichi really hated Kuroo’s feral grin. It never meant good things. “And when he catches me catching him staring, he _winks_. Then I just think, ‘me too, Koushi, me too.’”

 

Kuroo’s smile was pleased.

 

Daichi was afraid to know what his own expression was that earned the grin of a cat who just caught a mouse.

  


**~~~~**

  


_“I consider it a conversation,” Kuroo had said sometime after with more sobriety. “A small repair.”_

 

Like a nick in the wood or a bent out plank, things that seemed irreparable, Kuroo had often found a way.

 

Kuroo had yet to realize there was nothing left to fix.

 

Because none of their crew, especially Daichi, condemned him for what had transpired.

 

Not even Koushi.

 

He knew this because...apparently, Daichi had what Tanaka had called a _type_.

 

Evidently, this type was the conniving, pretty but deadly, and fiercely loyal kind. The kind that, more often than not, blamed themselves too harshly for everything out of their control.

 

Between Kuroo and Koushi, well, there was an obvious better choice.

 

Between Kuroo and Koushi, it was clear Daichi loved them both in different ways.

 

According to Noya, however, Daichi’s type was more _physical_ attraction orientated, and Daichi was a physical man. Which, Tanaka had added, was why his attraction to Kuroo had been shallow, but Koushi had _touched Daichi’s heart_.

 

He didn’t entirely understand what they had been rambling about. Daichi had been more irked that the two had been analyzing his love life rather than giving the same mental effort to cataloguing their food supply. He was also annoyed that Asahi had to summarize what the two had said, but he was starting to see their meaning.

 

The physical part? He knew by the shiver and raised goosebumps across his skin when Koushi entered the grove, calling his name.

 

The whole touching of the heart thing? Daichi knew that by the way Koushi smiled at him.

 

He was no stranger to unconditional love, but to still feel blessed by seeing the mer who threw down one of his closest friends was a clear indicator he had such love for Koushi.  

 

Daichi would be damned if he didn’t tell Koushi of his feelings, and he was going to tell Koushi. Today. He was going to confess. Yep. He was going to do it. No more holding back. There was only four days left, and if he didn’t do it now, he was going to hate himself forever. Koushi deserved to know. Even if Daichi was going to be rejected.

 

He gulped.

 

…Could he do this? Nope. Probably not. Yeah. Definitely not.

 

A pale webbed hand waved in front of his nose. “Daiiichi.”

 

Koushi smiled at him, and he was not sure why or how he still thought of the mer as a literal water angel. But the way Koushi said his name, soft like someone waking him in the morning, the distant tease and prolonged vowel, had enraptured Daichi. Surely, only angels could capture a man’s attention like this and leave them as awestruck as Daichi. Or perhaps, only mers could. Koushi was no angel. Daichi knew this, but he also vowed to shake Heaven when he died and came to find that the angels were not like Koushi.

 

After all, who said angels were the picture of innocence and incapable of being mischievous (and ruthless) leaders?  

 

“Daichi.” A firm grip on his knee jolted him out of the haze he found himself in. Gone was the tunnel of light, leaving the grove shadowed and cool. No longer was Koushi’s harmonious beckon. “Are you alright?”

 

He coughed, a lousy excuse to playing off the odd the moment, and then nodded. Jumping from one thought riddled headspace to another so quickly left him a bit dizzy. Daichi would be alright soon enough…after he confessed.

 

Until then, Daichi was more nervous than the first time he was about to meet the Captain’s Daughter .  

 

**~~~~**

  


Sitting in a narrow gap between two Genetrix bushes, Daichi was starkly calmer than earlier. A remarkable feat as Koushi was pressed against him, shoulder to shoulder, in the space that barely fit the two of them. His bare calves drowsily kicked in the water and smooth scales brushed against him each time.

 

He briefly wondered if this was what it was like to be completely in love. To be past the increased heartbeat, anxiety stage and settled into a more harmonious one where both of their hearts beat in a steady pace together. Or, perhaps love was always like that: a continuous cycle where love took you to the highest mountain before sliding down all the way to the beach to be caught up in gentle waves.

 

Daichi had yet to confess. There was still some nervous flutterings in his chest, but this seemed like a perfect moment.

 

“Can you imagine a world without mers, Daichi?”

 

He blinked. Refocusing on the question, his back hunched. “I can’t. The world wouldn’t be the same.”

 

“Liar.” Koushi twisted their arms together, lacing their fingers. Daichi stilled at the contact. That dreaded cycle repeated when his heart sped up again as a head of silver hair settled on his shoulder. “You didn’t believe in mers until you came to the island. There were no mers until then.”

 

“There was still mers, though you existed in horror stories or romantic fairytales mostly.” Daichi chuckled, the tension rolling away. He tested the grip of the hand in his own.

 

Koushi squeezed in return. It was time; this was the perfect moment to let his confession escape his heart.

 

“I like you.” The mole on Koushi’s cheekbone crinkled as he grinned. His hand was completely dry from their time sitting together as its hold tightened and then attempted to let go. Daichi kept Koushi’s hand firmly in his, not letting Koushi pull away. “Am I fool to think all of this means nothing?”

 

Muttering, he shook his head. “Damn it. Why do you always beat me in these things?”

 

The first person to bring the other a small token? Koushi with his fruits even though Daichi had found a beautiful carved shell to give. The first person to initiate contact? Koushi, every single time. And now Koushi was the first to confess… Daichi had never been more glad to know his anxiety had been worth it.

A flower was thrusted in front of his nose. It had a wide hazel center, surrounded by thin bright canary petals.

 

“This is _helianthus_ , my birth flower.” The petals were no bigger than his pinky finger and were almost entirely engulfed by the center, but the flower was beautiful. The amber center was filled with soft prickles, creating an odd flat shape, resembling a saucer or someone’s eyes. “The seeds are edible.”

 

Daichi plucked the thin green stem from Koushi’s fingers.

 

“Am I not a fool then?” Koushi blushed as Daichi accepted the flower.

 

He snorted. “Did you know Bokuto was going to build a house here on the island?”

 

Koushi tucked a silver lock behind his ear and shrugged. The act, as cute as it was, told Daichi Koushi had definitely known. He had to chuckle again at the thought of just who he was helplessly in love with: an all-knowing, ferocious mer.

 

“I never actually enjoyed staying in one place. When I heard what Bokuto was up to, I had the thought, if it was possible, I wouldn’t mind staying here either.” He took a deep sniff of the flower, pressing it against his nose. It smelled just like Koushi. “Someone would need to keep him in line, you know? I also thought you could have used the help, too, to keep everyone on the island from doing _foolish_ things.”

 

Koushi giggled and leaned further into Daichi.

 

“Definitely not a fool.” He pulled his arm away to wrap it around Koushi’s shoulders. A tail below twisted around his leg. “Unless you’re calling me a fool as well because this all means I have feelings for you, too.”

 

“Good.” Koushi swooped in to steal their first kiss.

 

Daichi cursed before bringing Koushi back in for yet another.

  
  


**~~~~~~~~**

  


Bokuto was never particularly religious.

He couldn’t really do the whole sacrifice thing; no drinking, no sex, taking the time to pray several times a day (or more), giving away your money. But for Keiji, he was willing to strip himself of all his worldly belongings and throw himself to the bottom of the sea in a show of endless devotion to the Sea Mother if they could stay together.

 

They were lost somewhere deep in the island. For the past three days, it had been an endless trek towards the billowing hills, past grand lakes, and mudding through an unexpected marsh. Bokuto was thrilled to see all of it. However, as he drew more nicks and steady lines on his thin canvas, the more his resentment to leave grew.

 

Religion had a significant element of devotion. Bokuto could definitely do that if all the Sea Mother asked of him was to watch Keiji cut his own path in the river with lean arms and a slick tail forever. He was more than content to watch the sunlight reflect on gold and silver lined scales for the rest of his life and beyond. In the river, specifically, because Bokuto could see all of Keiji just under a sliver of water. The way Keiji moved…

 

Bokuto cleared his throat and tore his gaze away from Keiji swimming in the water. As Bokuto slowly walked alongside the edge of the river, he retracted his thoughts about watching Keiji forever. Bokuto would die before forever could even start.

 

He heard the quiet ripple of water and knew Keiji was raising his head to look at whatever caught Bokuto’s interest—or caused yet another mood.

 

Except Bokuto was not in a mood. At least, not a _bad_ mood. He might have been slightly annoyed, though, because he was sure Keiji was swaying his body in such a way to get Bokuto _in_ the mood. Keiji had been languidly swimming in the water on his back, emphasizing the curve of his hips with each relaxed swish of his tail. There was power lining each stroke of his arms, rippling as his abdomen flexed, yet a sensual grace that recalled the vivid, _cherished_ memories made in the past three days.

 

He pretended to scrawl some notes on his parcel to encourage Keiji’s pretty green eyes to fall shut again.

 

Even if Keiji wasn’t purposely trying to arouse him, Bokuto was. He could never truly blame Keiji. Bokuto blamed his ‘monkey brain’, as Kuroo had called it once. Because the more Bokuto stared at Keiji’s beautiful form, the more his thoughts drifted to how he could best _appreciate_ said form.

 

Bokuto was not used to being the cautious one. Despite their recent advancements, he was never the first to begin. Keiji was always the one to push boundaries. In fact, their first kiss had taken Bokuto by surprise.

 

They hadn’t been too far from the oasis at the time, taking a short break to eat lunch and catch their breaths somewhere close to yet another lake. Bokuto hadn’t been particularly out of breath… At least, not until Keiji had dropped whatever mint he was chewing and surged to capture Bokuto’s lips. It had been bruising and uncoordinated, just the smashing of two pairs of lips together until Bokuto could feel the bulge of four canine teeth behind the other pair.   

 

He had been so stunned that he had pulled back. A confused frown painted Keiji’s rogue lips, and Bokuto let out a nervous laugh because, wow, Keiji had _kissed_ him.

 

“Tooru was wrong.” Keiji’s brows narrowed. “Our first kiss wasn’t anything like he said it would be.”

 

Bokuto pursed his lips and stared at Keiji, openly showing the mer every confused speckle of color in his eyes. “And… what did he say it was supposed to be like?”

 

“Like seafoam on your lips, filling your lungs with its bubbles.”  

 

He had had a difficult time withholding his own chuckles because he knew Keiji would misunderstand his amusement. Coughing, Bokuto had wrapped his fingers around Keiji’s wrist before the mer could sneer and leave him out of embarrassment. He knew the feeling considering his first kiss ever was Iwaizumi and _that_ had been mortifying.

 

“You were too aggressive for that type of kiss.” Bokuto had loosened his grip to trail his fingers through the droplets stuck on Keiji’s skin, all the way up the pale forearm. Both of his hands traveled to stop at the edges of Keiji’s chin. “Here, let me show you how.”

 

This kiss _had_ been soft like seafoam, a dance of two pairs of lips moving step by step, gentle and coaxing, never truly breaking apart. Until it _wasn’t_. Because Bokuto had _cautiously_ dared to peek out his tongue and swipe it across the rosy bottom lip caught between his. Keiji had then grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing them closer together and increasing the intensity of their kiss with nipping teeth and touching tongues.

 

In hindsight of the past three days, Bokuto had learned their heated moments together always rapidly heightened in intensity.

 

He should have realized from their very first kiss, however, because one moment he had been sharing a beautifully passionate kiss, but the next… When his fingers had just reached the base of Keiji’s hair, he had barely registered the strong hands on his chest until they were forcing him down onto his back.

 

“Uh, did Tooru teach you that?” He had laughed again, but mostly because he was fighting the sudden thrill that shot up his veins and straight to his heart.

 

Keiji had been halfway out of the water, dripping water all over him, but Bokuto didn’t mind. Not when Keiji had been looking at him with a blown pupils that eclipsed the slivers of green. There was still one hand on Bokuto’s chest, pressing against his sternum until it started drifting across the expanse of his shirt.  

 

“He did.” With only a hum, Keiji had shifted his gaze to where his hand had deftly shifted Bokuto’s shirt up. Keiji trailed cool touches that made his stomach clench. “That’s his designation: to explore…” Keiji had leaned down and pressed warm lips against his navel. Bokuto knew Keiji had a low voice, but this… “And then he tells us what he learned so we know how to do it _just right_.”

 

A gravely hush, pebbles scraping against dirt, that was how Keiji sounded. Bokuto loved it. He never, not once, claimed to be the most observant person. He was constantly distracted. And Keiji… Keiji had mastered the art of distracting him. Bokuto could only preen as his hips bucked and thin fingers found their way beneath his pants.  

 

There was no high compared to Keiji touching him in the most intimate of places, but he had to grip Keiji’s wrist stronger than before. It was a silent question he had hoped Keiji could understand because Bokuto hadn’t trusted himself to speak. Bokuto was not a cautious person, often rushing into things head first, but with Keiji he had to be.

 

A quick nod was all Bokuto needed to know Keiji was _always_ sure.  

 

It had been the best first kiss ever. That and everything that followed, Bokuto wanted to do it _again_. And they had. They had fallen together several times in the midst of passion in the past few days. Somehow, Bokuto always ended up on his back, pressed against the river bank or a boulder that bit harshly into his spine (but he never cared). Keiji’s hands would touch every part of him. His collarbones, his knees, his cock with nimble fingers and wet, warm lips.

 

If Keiji wanted to do it again, in the present moment, well… Bokuto was feeling a little weak in the knees.

 

Bokuto wanted to do it a bit differently this time after Keiji’s little water dance that, with his wonderful memory, left him more than a little hard.

 

Because throughout their sexual embraces, Bokuto could count on one hand how often he had touched Keiji’s body the way Keiji touched his. He could touch Keiji all he wanted when they cuddled afterwards or laid down for rest. Except Bokuto wanted more. He wanted to touch Keiji in a way that would brand them together. So no matter who touched Keiji after him, Bokuto would always be _better_. The first person to worship Keiji the way the mer deserved to be.

 

He wanted to burn their love into Keiji’s taut skin because physical moments only lasted when they were together. The thought of another mer one day having these embraces with Keiji, drove him mad. He could picture it: some hulking mer with a snow white tail and translucent skin. Or would the other merpod be of more darker shades? A severe contrast to the other mers with bright colors but a similar palette to that of Keiji’s midnight tail. Keiji would fit in perfectly with their group, forming bonds he could never form with Bokuto.

 

He was glad he would never have to see it happen. Bokuto was never a violent person, and even if he was, he would be too far away to keep any other being from doing the things he loved doing with Keiji. Kissing, snuggling, talking.

 

There was only hope left.

 

A selfish hope that Keiji would only love Bokuto this way no matter whose loving touch would come next.   

 

“Now you’re working yourself into a mood.” Keiji sighed before twisting over to crawl up the bank. “Let’s rest here for now.”

 

He nodded in response. After setting his parcel of materials out of the rushing river’s reach as its tide peaked, Bokuto moved closer to lay next to Keiji who lied extended on his side with his tail end in the water.

 

Bokuto was still a little aroused, but naps with Keiji were far more soothing when he began working himself into a jealous, possessive, _strange_ mood. It wasn’t him. At least, he didn’t think it was; he knew he didn’t own Keiji. And he knew Keiji was surely tired of his excessive sobbing over the situation despite the frequent reassurances of shared tears.

 

Keiji reached out to him first. His strong grip settled on Bokuto’s side, encouraging him to shift closer until they were pressed chest to chest. Bokuto used one arm to pillow his head and the other to hold Keiji by the waist.

 

Closing his eyes, Bokuto breathed through each emotion and attempted to let go of each negative thought. Keiji would be fine. He himself would be...not-so-fine, but Keiji would be safe, and for Bokuto, only that mattered. Besides, Keiji wasn’t promised to anyone yet.

 

“Koutarou.”

 

He gulped. Keiji only used his given name in certain instances. Had he not meant actually napping? If so, Bokuto more than welcomed it.

 

“Tell me about it, your dreams of this school. You never said what drew you to it.”

 

Keiji placed a palm over his beating heart, a claw fraying the fabric of Bokuto’s shirt as it drew strange patterns Keiji refused to name.

 

He could see the place still. “The castle on the cliff. It’s… It sits right on the edge of where the earth falls into the sea.”

 

It was vivid and bright with spirals that extended to touch the tips of clouds. Bokuto told Keiji of its molten bronze tiles that blended with the colors of sunrise and sunset, always shimmering at night with its many diamonds. The castle became one with the sky. He could only tell it was there from the reflecting sunlight that seemingly hit him in the eyes perfectly each time they passed. Bokuto had originally thought it to be a palace, somewhere poor men and pirates had no place of being, so it was a whimsical dream to know its interior. Discovering it was a school only sealed Bokuto’s dream of it.

 

“They say, from the window of its highest tower,” Bokuto thought Keiji had brought up the topic to distract him, but the mer paid careful attention to the blurry picture he was drawing with words, “when you look out, you see a view only birds can see. It’s like you’re flying.”

 

He grinned, then lifted a finger to trace the edge of Keiji’s jaw. Keiji closed his eyes at the ministration but Bokuto knew the mer wasn’t asleep. Keiji kept up the lazy pattern drawing on his chest. Still, he loved that he could make Keiji feel this relaxed.

 

“Do you want to know my dream, Koutarou?”

 

“Of course.” A small thought was beginning to take shape in his mind.

 

Keiji whispered unlike Bokuto had ever heard him before, as though Keiji was afraid to utter the words aloud. “I’ve always wanted to fly.” The hand on his chest stilled. “I dream of seeing the view from the highest tower of the palace by the sea.”

 

Green eyes blazed into his own. “Koutarou, if you still have this dream, could you fulfill it for me?”

 

“But—”

 

“Just because one dream has to die doesn’t mean the other can’t survive.” Keiji smiled at him, the way Keiji always did.

 

Closed lipped, a barely there quirk at the edges of his mouth. It could almost be a smirk if Bokuto didn’t know it as well as he did. Bokuto cupped his lover’s face, his thumb resting at the top of that quirk. It wasn’t any easier to breathe than before. If anything, his breathing began to falter even more as his throat tightened around a swell of emotion.

 

Bokuto did still have that dream, but Keiji was wrong. There was another dream that could live.

 

He swallowed past the blockage. “Say, uh, Keiji, your unity ceremony. For mers, it...doesn’t mean you have to be completely monogamous, right?”

 

A keen gaze studied him like it always did, seeing through his forehead and examining every thought, until… Keiji shook his head as he began to understand.

 

“Good.” The smile he gave wasn’t forced. Because his love for Keiji was pure and strong, and he knew Keiji’s was even stronger. “Because I… I would love to marry you, Keiji.”

 

Bokuto was momentarily blinded by four, white canine teeth shown by Keiji’s own smile. They were both full of love. Enough of it that Bokuto felt as though he could walk out of the forest, hop on one last trip with the crew, and set foot in that golden institution. The hand on his chest, however, as its vitality returned and traveled lower and lower… Bokuto was going to enjoy this ceremony to its fullest extent.

 

“Mm-mm. Nope.” He clicked his tongue. Pressing his hand against Keiji’s shoulder, he shifted forward until Keiji laid on his back this time. “It’s your turn.”

  
He never wanted to leave the forest if he could exist in that one moment forever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Sea lingo:**
> 
>  
> 
>  **galley** \- kitchen on the ship 
> 
> **Captain's Daughter** \- a short, nine pronged whip generally used on naval ships as a form of punishment. As a young sailor, not even Daichi was perfect and couldn't escape this. 
> 
> This was supposed to be a solely daisuga chapter, I swear. I'm sorry. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!!!!! I aiming to post the final chapter around ~17th of January. 
> 
> Happy holidays, everyone!!!! (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ ♥‿♥


	15. the sea was a reminder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> S/O to DaVinci whose new name is Taketora, famous for his painting “The Kiyoko.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~I'm really really really sorry. It is 3am. I'm incredibly late. Again, I'm so sorry if some parts don't make sense.~~

A mist settled on the island the morning the pirates lowered their sails.

 

Everyone spoke in brief murmured phrases as dawn started to peek over the horizon, overbearing knowledge in each inflected whisper. The day had just begun, but it would end soon.

 

Iwaizumi grasped Noya’s shoulder for his attention; the gunmaster was absorbed in his work, flitting about all over and under the deck. Each placement of a gunpowder-filled stick was creative direction Iwaizumi could not fathom but was eager to see.

 

“Oh, hey, Captain.” Noya paused briefly to offer him a glum smile.

 

“You set for tonight?” Iwaizumi glanced around the deck, but there was no one else but the two of them.

 

Somewhere above them was Hinata snoring in his tower whereas Kageyama was tucked away in Iwaizumi’s study to pour over maps. He knew the others were awake, but—

 

“I’m the only artist aboard. Asahi’s still asleep, so I’ll probably be done about lunch time.”

 

Iwaizumi snorted at the statement. Noya was a blessing to his crew and he could barely remember a time without his uncanny way of understanding what people needed. “Of course. Take your time, _Taketora_.”

 

He clapped Noya’s shoulder, the loudest sound of the morning.

 

Iwaizumi inspected the rest of the ship, grazing his fingers over the recently polished rail, toeing heavy barrels with his boot to ensure they were filled, and tugging on several ropes as he passed. When he arrived at the helm, Iwaizumi smoothed the general map they kept at the podium by the wheel. It was a rough painting, more than a map, of the Seven Seas with constellations drawn across the edges of the canvas.

 

Irihata’s dream was to travel to the end of the world and hop onto the next. A dream that had lasted long enough for Iwaizumi to adopt when he took the reins of the ship, unbeknownst to Irihata there was another dream Iwaizumi had wanted. He had tried for almost a decade, followed this map glued to the podium the best he could to chase unknown treasures, to make Irihata’s dream his own. For those years, Iwaizumi had embraced it.

 

He was never content. Until his dream of a little merboy came true, Iwaizumi had feared he would be forever unsettled in the pirate life he loved.

 

Once they set course, Iwaizumi believed, he could be content after loving the sea and receiving the same love in return. When Kuroo appeared beside him at the helm, Iwaizumi knew he wouldn’t be alone either. He never truly was.

 

He scoffed at the realization that he was leading a band of wayward pirates all along, taking in stragglers much like himself. Kuroo arched a brow but said nothing as he crossed his arms and leaned against the wheel.

 

Iwaizumi missed their pre-dawn rituals. It would be a solid comfort to return to, one he hoped Daichi and Bokuto would partake with them.

 

He stopped his dismal repetitive abuse on the poor map when the grim frown of Kuroo caught his eye.

 

Not sure of what to offer, Iwaizumi pondered the longer he stared at Kuroo’s face. They were one and the same, in the same situation, yet entirely different. They stayed completely still as the mist clung to the tips of their hair and noses.

 

“There’s a storm coming, Kenma said. It should hit in a day or two. We should leave soon before it can catch up to us.”

 

“We leave at dusk.” Iwaizumi gripped the podium. They were completely different; he wasn’t a runner.

 

“I get it, but—”

 

“When the sun sets, we set course.” He pushed off the podium, briefly thankful the post was nailed firmly into the floorboards considering the force he used when shoving it. “We will enjoy this last day, Kuroo.”

 

Iwaizumi wanted to gather enough sunlight into his skin to ensure the day would never end.

 

He only despised the sun more.  

 

**~~~~**

 

When Iwaizumi’s next task involved stepping down into the hull, one foot paused on the creaky floorboard while the other remained on the last step. The hull was mostly empty with hammocks swaying save but for one person tucked away at the farther end of the room.

 

Iwaizumi felt the brief amusement quirking at his lips, but it simmered into something more somber as he realized why Tobio was donning his favorite cloak again. It had taken Iwaizumi three whole days to convince his brother to take off the heavy thing while on the island. Now, there was no need for him to enforce that order.

 

He propelled his last foot off the stair and headed towards Tobio. Trying to keep his steps light, he almost fooled his brother’s ears until right before his hands hovered over the silken fabric.

 

Tobio had turned his head but Iwaizumi continued to rest his hands and grip shoulders that, one day, would be as strong as his own.

 

“You realize that it’s still summer and to wear this jacket will just lead to fainting, right?” The amusement appeared in the uptick of his brows, not failing to notice the sheepish look on Tobio’s face.

 

With a nudge of his heel, Tobio followed the movement and turned to face Iwaizumi. He tugged the lapels of the garment before sliding his fingers down to the buttons.

 

“‘Every great pirate has a memorable jacket,’ that was what you told me when you bought it.” Used to this routine from their mother, Tobio stretched out his arms, causing Iwaizumi to snort at themselves.

 

It had been nearly two decades since Iwaizumi ever had to dress his brother up for the day, but the nostalgia was welcome. Iwaizumi was warmed to be reminded of who he had with him. They would be the ones to keep him steady during the days he would mourn who was not.

 

He pulled at the ends of the sleeves before running his palm across the shoulder to the cuff, catching any stray threads or lint. Tobio truly belonged in such a cloak. The ebony silk matched his hair, the embroidered gold threads brought out flecks in Tobio’s eyes, creating lightning in the blue storms. The barely noticeable loose space around the shoulders marked the days Tobio had yet to grow into the great pirate he would become.

 

“No,” Iwaizumi allowed himself to meet the storm and smile into it. “I said a great captain trademarks his legacy with a fine cloak. But only if he doesn’t die from the heat first.”

 

Iwaizumi thought Tobio’s eyes were always like storms, and often, when he could see the pupils dilate at praise, he thought the center of the storm was one of his favorite places. But the eye of the storm clouded over once again as Tobio finished processing his words.

 

“I’ll be fine.” A lower lip jutted slightly before being sucked back, brows narrowed, and Iwaizumi saw lightning again as Tobio fought the part of himself that was still a child.

 

Instead of fueling the battle, he shrugged, adding his own pursed lips to show he only believed Tobio’s stubbornness. “You’ll only be captain after I’m gone, though, and that’s a long, long time from now.”

 

He dropped his hands from where they were fiddling with the lapels and turned on his heel.

 

“I—wait.” Tobio gripped his bicep. “Are you… I can’t be... “

 

Iwaizumi grinned as he patted Tobio’s shoulder, hard. “Of course you can. Maybe right after we find that stupid chalice. If it has any sort of real magic to get back here, who else can I trust to take care of my baby?”

 

He didn’t have much hope left for he would be chasing a dream far more grand than that of a boy with a tail. Even if the dream should stutter and ultimately die, there truly was no one else Iwaizumi would rather see at the helm of Seijoh.

 

“Now, we need to start loading up those barrels. Get your lazy ass out there.”

 

**~~~~~~~~**

 

There were several aspects about being a pirate that Daichi did not enjoy. It was not the theft or the violence, for with this crew, both were done in good faith. When he was in the navy, Daichi had grown unsure whether those two acts were done in the same manner.

 

He was nearing thirty. His joints were beginning to twinge just slightly. His sight was no longer perfect. His memory, well, needless to say Noya’s looks of exasperation were a clear indicator. Daichi was growing tired of all the manual labor. He partially wished the fog from the early morning would return.

 

Hefting the barrel of fruit bore down his fingers, and he felt as though they would break until he felt a bit of relief when two more hands gripped the other edgel. He peeked around to see Asahi nodding at him.

 

Together, they trudged through the sand until sand turned into the ocean that reached up to their calves. Air swooped out of their lungs in unison once the barrel had landed in the rowboat. While Asahi bent over his knees, Daichi bent backwards to ease the ache in his spine.

 

“There’s still more,” Asahi huffed out.

 

Daichi straightened. He stared blankly at his best friend. He stared for several seconds until his forehead pinched and his lips parted, finally allowing himself to blink. Daichi loved his best friend, but he had enough strength left in him to punch the idiot in the arm.

 

Asahi yelped at the hit before opening his mouth to ask what was it for, but Daichi glared at him to shut up.

 

After one last stretch, he waved for them to get a move on. As they walked to the forest line to pick up yet another barrel with sand coating the bottoms of their feet, Daichi began to question his choice in friends when Asahi dared to ask another question.

 

“Have you seen Koushi yet today?”

 

Daichi shook his head and put his efforts into lifting another barrel with Asahi’s help. Tanaka and Noya chattered and moved faster than the two of them, passing by with their barrel relative easy.

 

Refusing to sigh, he breathed deep. “On three. One, two, three.” With fifteen years of working side by side, their steps were synchronized and swift.

 

“I haven’t seen him all day,” he gasped out while trying his damndest to reach the boat. “I think he’s avoiding me, to be honest with you.”

 

“I’m sorry, Daichi,” came the reply but it did nothing to ease the gnawing he had been ignoring all morning. Perhaps Koushi wasn’t the only one unwilling to face the day. “I don’t know what I can do to help.”

 

He wanted to say thank you, Daichi did, but everyone knew there was an obvious, simple answer. One for selfish, greedy men, the kind he often strived to avoid. Daichi had never been more tempted.

 

Their toes finally sank into wet sand.

 

“I just want you to know that we’re here for you if anything, especially after we set sail.”

 

Daichi snorted. “Are you forgetting that I’m older than you?”

 

“By a day,” he heard Asahi mutter, “and I’m serious. Anything you need.”

 

His thoughts skittered to memories of the way they often gave into Tanaka’s needs; he wondered briefly if that was more or less what Asahi was insinuating. If his best friend was, Daichi was going to punch him again.

 

“I just—” Asahi, for once, exhaled in frustration, “I mean it. I would probably die without Noya, and I can’t possibly imagine—”

 

Daichi’s foot stubbed the bottom of the rowboat, almost causing the barrel to topple over before his reflexes tightened. The cool water warmed around his aching toes. Daichi cursed to himself but dug his heels into the sand, forcing Asahi to catch up to his movements and heave the barrel down onto the swaying boat.

 

He grasped his sore foot, balancing on the other.

 

“Are you alright? Do I need to get my tools?” Asahi stood next to him and held onto his arm for support.

 

Daichi waved him off before setting his foot down, bearing the weight he forced upon it. He gave only one exasperated look as a warning before launching himself at the giant.

 

If the only way to alleviate both his physical and emotional anguish was to beat up his best friend, so be it. The day was just barely beginning, and the barrels could be done later, but the exhaustion that grew with each passing year was beginning to show.

 

He was tired of saying goodbye.

 

**~~~~~~~~**

 

When noon approached, Kenma hovered just beneath the surface of the tide pool. He knew everyone could see him, obvious by the way they greeted him.

 

Kuroo had yet to come but Kenma was glad for that.

 

He wasn’t ready.

 

Kenma was young but maturing, coming to find that life rarely waited until you were ready.

 

When noon approached, so did Kuroo with his wild hair and a few braids left in and feline eyes. He sat in his usual place as if it was any other day, content to wait until Kenma was ready, but today, that would not happen.

 

Koushi often said it helped if you ripped the spearhead out quick, the pain would be less. He had never had a spear pierce him but he believed his Eldest. Darting out of the water, with the speed he had once used to reach for the item, he returned it.

 

He sank beneath the water, deeper this time, hoping to leave yet hoping to hear just a few small words.

 

His neck felt tight, and his skin burned. His palms especially, slicing through his fingers, as the pain of emptiness felt solid.

 

Kenma had not been ready, and the pain was not less as Koushi had once told him.

 

Yet as he matured, Kenma had also grown to learn that life tended to enjoy surprises. Things like pirates stumbling upon their island, quiet, warm, and pleasant surprises like a gold necklace blocking the sunlight, filtering through the water before sinking down to meet him.

 

A heavy weight cradled in his palms, thick chains threading through his fingers, the pain dissipated as it rested where it belonged. The locket in its rightful place, Kenma was ready to swim above the water, his hair sticking to his skin.  

 

Kuroo smiled at him when he resurfaced. Gesturing towards his most beloved belonging, he told Kenma, “Keep it.”

 

His fingers tightened around the locket, instinctively bringing it closer to his chest, but Kuroo listened to the question in his eyes.

 

“I want you to keep it.” Kenma noticed the slight droop in his favorite smile before it twisted into one he also found endearing; the teasing one that caused his own smiles. “Because I fully intend on coming back to collect it again.”

 

Kuroo reached out, and Kenma met him halfway, to where calloused hands held the sides of his face and warm lips kissed the top of his forehead.

  


**~~~~~~~~**

 

Tooru had always existed between two states of mind. Somewhere between his two brothers, Koushi the Observer and Keiji the Tactician. Both and neither the type to act first like Keiji, to react last as Koushi. He floated between both mentalities often until he settled on a harmonious current of the two. He observed, formed several plans, and tucked them for later. Content to drift with the flow of the waves with his tail picking a random direction to travel. Always a game of _one little mer, two little mers, three here, and four there_. A silly rhyme to decide which current to follow, based on chance—if you know the pattern and pick the right starting place.

 

He patted his tufts of hair. It still wasn’t quite dry enough for Kenma to style just yet, but the sun, although bright now, had lost its usual summer vigor.

 

Continuing his minimal sunbathing, Tooru closed his eyes and settled against the harsh stone. Hajime had already visited him in the early morning, and though he often paused his duties for a kiss or a nuzzle, for a small moment of pretend, they both knew Hajime had much to prepare. He had put it off until the last moment possible.

 

With nothing else to do, he drifted in and out of tiny naps. He could hear all the pirates bustling about the island, much like they did the first day they arrived. Tooru had hoped he would be as happy on their final day on the island as he had on their first. His delicate yet messy plans had fallen short.

 

He heard Hajime’s voice always. Picking it out among the others like a beacon, clear, strong, and the only voice Tooru wanted to hear today. He waited until that voice came closer and closer, accompanied by crunching footsteps.

 

After the steps followed a gentle caress, a sweep of fingers across his forehead, and then a whisper, “Tooru.”

 

“Iwa-chan.” He allowed himself to smile as they touched noses, holding onto each other’s cheeks until his eyes opened.

 

He would keep smiling. That is, until he noticed the other figure standing at the edge of his sight.

 

Dressed in a long, dark coat, Kageyama stood patiently with arms crossed behind his back and beads of sweat at the edges of his hairline. Tooru scrunched his nose but turned his attention back to Hajime.

 

Tooru felt a tug on his earlobe before a padded thumb brushed against the taut skin there. It nearly lulled him to close his eyes once more, but before his lids could shut, he saw the smirk resting on Hajime’s lips. He pecked it away.

 

“When will you be done, Iwa-chan?” Tooru whined a bit.

 

“Soon.” His eyes slid over to the other figure still standing there. “Kageyama wanted to talk to you, though. Be nice.”  

 

He pouted when Hajime shifted away, cupping his cheek and placing a gentle kiss before stepping towards the rest of his crew. Tooru wanted to shout that he was always nice but his gaze caught more sweat on Kageyama’s brow as the silly human stood directly underneath the midday sun in an obviously heavy garment.

  

“What are you wearing, Tobio-chan? Take that dreadful thing off,” he bit out. “And come closer, I hear you have come to say goodbye to the great Tooru-san.”

 

Kageyama scuttled closer like a crab but more hesitant. “Captain gave it to me when I first joined the crew,” he said when he was but a few feet from Tooru.

 

He had no vague insult for such a statement; Tooru cherished every small gift from Hajime.

 

With his eyes downcast and several seconds passing in heavy silence, the mer waited with surprising patience. Because like this, Tooru was reminded again of how similar Kenma and Kageyama were, and by both pirate and mer laws, Tooru would be saying goodbye to a brother for the first time.  

 

“Well, it is a fine garment, Tobio-chan. As expected of my dear Hajime.” He shrugged and rested his hands beneath his head, closing his eyes against the sun.

 

“Thank you, Tooru-nii-san.” Kageyama said, and Tooru heard him come a few steps closer. “I wanted to thank you for for making my brother happy.”

 

He propped himself up on his elbows instantly at the words, staring intently at Kageyama but not to catch him in a lie. There was a difference between Kenma and Kageyama, he had just discovered. Kageyama was far more direct, but as with Kenma, sometimes they could leave Tooru struggling for words.

 

“I—”

 

“I hope we see you again.” Kageyama clenched his fists, causing the jacket cuffs to cover them slightly. Still so much room to grow. “It may sound silly, and forgive me if I am out of place, but—I do. I will do what I can to come back here.”

 

Tooru smiled, a true one that was soft and parted, on the verge of breathlessness, but he forced out a chuckle anyway. “Thank you, Tobio-chan, but don’t you dare come back here until you and Shrimpy-chan are married, alright?”

 

At that, Kageyama turned bright red without any assistance from the sun before bowing deeply and fumbling through a goodbye.

 

Tooru, too, was a bit like Kenma. His youngest brother held a trait deeper than the rest of them, tapping into a connection with the abyss through his gift. He couldn’t do that, but like Kenma, Tooru sometimes just knew.

 

Perhaps it was because he observed before reacting.

 

Or because he planned before acting.

 

It was entirely possible Tooru could receive messages from beyond the horizon.

 

It could be the culmination of all of that, but for now, Tooru preferred to call it a hunch. Determination being a close synonym.

 

Tooru agreed with Kageyama; they would see each other again.

 

**~~~~~~~~**

 

Keiji felt a strange itch that had begun in his tail, traveling north, up his sides and chest, onto his shoulders until it remained between the blades of his back.

 

Back in their oasis, Keiji sat on the land, half leaning on Bokuto’s lap as the warmth did its best to soothe the ache. He hadn’t mentioned it to his human, but Bokuto had noticed.

 

He would miss Bokuto noticing.

 

However, Bokuto had given him something far better for when they parted. Completely united, lending his strength through a spiritual connection Keiji never knew he could feel.

 

He would miss Bokuto, but he loved Bokuto enough to let him go.

 

For now, though, Keiji would hold onto his waist, hear his heartbeat, and feel every breath. He had never thought it possible but this, this relaxed state where he went spineless, where he was free of thought, where emotion did not feel strained… Keiji felt as though he was soaring.

 

Bokuto had given him his dream of flight.  

 

With this, Keiji could fly to see him every night they were apart, to where their minds drifted in a land not meant for those awake.

 

Yet even birds needed to rest, to touch ground, to fall back into the water.

 

There was a clear thought that interrupted this bliss despite how far into his conscious he heard it. Keiji considered if he truly heard it at all.

 

_“Are you happy now that I have given you wings?”_

 

**_~~~~~~~~_ **

 

Bokuto emerged from his extended week-long disappearance in the afternoon, when the sun had reached its peak heat. The rest of the pirates were now focusing on more of the ship’s tasks; checking ropes, sails, course. The mers had huddled an hour ago and dived beneath the water to not be found until the ship set sail.

 

Only Kuroo was on the beach.  

 

Judging from the uneasy shift in his stance, Bokuto knew his best friend had been waiting for him. Even a week away had not given him a clue as to what to say. He wasn’t angry—it was difficult to be angry with someone you had known for as long as they had. Bokuto, however, had begun to understand what Kuroo meant when he said, _“I’m tired.”_

 

He was, too.

 

Kuroo did what he often did when nervous—scratching the back of his head, rubbing his nose with the knuckles of his hand—before clearing his throat. He felt better knowing he wasn’t the only one who didn’t know what to say.

 

Except Kuroo had always been better with words.

 

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I kept pushing you. I’m sorry I started treating you like someone incapable of making his own decisions.” Kuroo looped his thumbs on his weapons belt, empty of any actual means of harm, and rocked back on his heels.

 

He nodded for Kuroo to continue, arms crossing his chest and pinching the skin at his elbows.

 

“You’re my best friend, the best brother I have, and I feel as though…it is…my obligation…to tell you…that…” Bokuto’s skin tingled but so did his lips. “You look like shit. How the hell did you get a sunburn that bad?”

 

Laughter bubbled in their lungs and bumbled past their lips.

 

His skin still hurt, but he had begun peeling two days prior. Bokuto would be fine.

 

They would be fine.

 

Even when Bokuto left Kuroo and everything he had ever known for the past decade of his life.

 

“Actually…” He grinned at Kuroo, giddy, somewhat amazed he didn’t feel more depressed about his prospective future. Because he would be fine. “Once again, you were right, Kuroo-sensei. I _can_ make my own decisions. And I’ve decided—”

 

“You’re going to go? To the school?” Kuroo cut in, obvious joy that once stabbed Bokuto with guilt now only inspired him further, and his best friend leaned closer.  

 

Kuroo leaned closer until he had to take a step, and another, and another until he was right in front of Bokuto.

 

Life always needed a dream, and being enveloped in a firm, _supportive_ embrace was a decent way to start one off.   

 

**~~~~~~~~~**

 

If Kenma was an explorer mer, he knew, he could never reach the ocean’s true depth. He would never know each of its creatures, understand all of its mysteries. There would be currents strong enough to overpower even him and intricate valleys where he could be lost in forever.

 

The human called Hinata Shouyou was simple to understand in contrast. Despite his boisterous energy, there was a settled, almost unnoticeable, calmness in him. Kenma had noticed, and perhaps it was what made this particular pirate special. He felt comfortable around Shouyou. At the very least, Shouyou was special in this sense.

 

Shouyou had an aura that lulled Kenma, one that somehow garnered a strange trust. Just a small piece of it.

 

The small thing was poking at the palm of skin, threatening to draw blood. His fingers remained tight around it as it always did.

 

With his other hand, Kenma tapped the locket that hung safely around his neck.

 

Then he swam closer.

 

“Shouyou.” He elevated his voice slightly to reach where the fire-haired pirate could hear him over the sharp scrape of stone upon stone.

 

Shouyou’s head perked up, looking around before turning fully to find Kenma waiting for him.

 

“Oh, hi, Kenma!” The pirate skipped towards him, waving all the way. “I hope the flint wasn’t bothering you too much.”

 

“Reach out your hand, Shouyou,” Kenma told the boy when he was close enough.

 

Hinata Shouyou had earned a piece of his trust because _Hinata_ offered his own trust so willingly. It showed in the way a question marked his face but he stuck his hand out nonetheless.

 

Droplets dripped from his skin as he unfurled his fingers. The sharktooth landed on Shouyou’s palm without a bounce.

 

The wind ruffled Shouyou’s hair, causing the boy to smile, but for Kenma—it gave him a chill as dusk approached.  

 

Kuroo had once taught him a board game on a day when even napping had been incredibly boring. _Chess_ , he had called it, played on patterned squares decorating wood with detailed _marble_ figurines. Kenma had been fascinated more by the sculpted stones and the hard lacquer of the board to pay attention to what each piece was or even did. But he did recall one piece, the _queen_. She was the strongest piece on the board. Without her, all was lost. With her, victory was certain.

 

It was almost time, and Kenma had placed the queen ready to strike.

 

**~~~~~~~~~**

 

 

The humans, this one in particular, may consider him beautiful but Koushi thought otherwise.

 

Rosy shadows adorned the planes of Daichi’s face. A blush reflected on his skin, caused by the pink skies, down from the cherubs of his cheeks to the bridge of his nose. This was the most beautiful person in his eyes.

 

After too long of gazing into each other’s eyes, Koushi took strong, weathered hands into own. They were soft, pliant in comparison to his but whereas his were smooth, he could feel every scar, every worn pad of skin on Daichi’s hands.

 

He had yet to say a word.

 

Koushi had been hiding in his grove, even when the pirates entered and left constantly, he had stayed out of sight. In that way, he saw Daichi several times, and each time it hurt just a bit more. He would never see sundrops in the perspiration of Daichi’s forehead. Nor would he ever watch the graceful ripple of muscle and bone and firm legs again. Worst of all, he would never hear the deep baritone speak warm and soothing.

 

Before him was his last chance for all of these things. His last opportunity to be so close to all that was Daichi… He was afraid of the pain his touch may bring.

 

Just as the sun had begun to set, Koushi knew he could not hide any longer. It would hurt, but not saying farewell to the one desire he had ever known would be far worse.

 

Oh, Daichi understood him so well.

 

Before he could find the courage to leave the safety of the grove, a rustle caught his ears.

 

And there Daichi was, escaping the thick foliage, wearing the fond look meant only for him. It was different than when Daichi had looked upon his family. This gaze held a different heat, these lips relaxed in some state between a smile and a kiss.

 

Daichi sat upon the soft earth, between the Genetrix bushes, as he so often had done. This time Koushi did not sit beside him.

 

Instead, Koushi floated before him, cradling his hands, feeling each groove before bringing them up to his lips.  

 

“Koushi?”

 

His name said again, another small attempt to have their final conversation, but the hesitance echoed in his chest. Neither wanted to say the words necessary to depart.

 

Koushi was not like this. Indecisive, unwilling to let go as his nature detested, unprepared. He did not recall much about their parents but he knew one lesson: this love did not make him weak, as indecisive, unwilling, and unprepared as he was.

 

Shadows on the forest floor only grew as the sun waned. The sky now painting deep reds and pastel purples.

 

The time for indecisions, obstinance, hiding, had passed.

 

“I apologize for avoiding you today. I just, I couldn’t—” He drew a sharp breath, pressing those hands to his lips as if they could give him the strength to speak.

 

Daichi’s gaze always had warmed his face but now it burned with emotion threatening to burst from underneath the brown irises.

 

“Don’t apologize.” A hand removed itself to pet the side of his face, from the tips of his hair to just beneath his ear. The voice Koushi loved spoke in a hushed, amused, whisper. “Someone had to do all the work.”

 

He did not want to, but a choked laugh escaped him anyway, and Koushi bit his lips to stifle it. Koushi didn’t feel any real amusement—it angered him. That Daichi could make him laugh, cause a melancholic merriment in his heart. He took ahold of the hand that had left his grasp.

 

“I will miss these hands.” Somewhere, Koushi could hear Tooru snorting. How unromantic were those words. A poor excuse for he wanted to say. “I will miss you. You, in this pink light, your dark eyes looking into mine, and I can’t—” _I can’t even look at you now._

 

Koushi felt the wet mirth at the back of his throat. He should have felt pathetic, but firm fingers pinched his chin, forcing him to look.

 

 _Your dark eyes looking into mine._ He had always wondered what Daichi saw in these shared gazes, if he saw the same intense emotion staring back at him. Koushi prayed he did. His eyes burned with the effort.

 

“Why did you have to make me love you Sawamura Daichi, quartermaster of Seijoh, the finest vessel on the sea?”

 

Daichi smiled, bright against the settling darkness. “There are few mers, and fewer still are your interests in them… now that a human has caught your heart.”

 

He released Daichi’s hands, allowing them to hold the sides of his face and bring him closer, nose to nose.

 

“But not once have you regretted your decisions.”

 

Daichi kissed him for the last time, and then he left the grove where Koushi would stay.

 

While his body would be spending the winter in the coldest sea, his heart would remain there in the grove, held in two human hands…forever.

 

**~~~~~~~~**

 

A sliver of sun was left on the horizon.

 

The abomination of a union, where sky met sea, told Hajime he held it off long enough.  

 

“Tanaka, is everything packed?” he asked the cook for the fourth time.

 

“Aye, Captain.”

 

Hajime gnawed his lip and withheld asking yet another assurance for their departure. He knew he was truly asking for assurance if it was time to leave, but no one had to tell him the truth. Everything was back on the ship, swiftly put away after one last supper on the island together. The fire had been stamped out. The spot they had burned into for the past half month now covered in piles of sand, the bordering rocks set in more natural places, all of it appearing untouched. As if no humans, pirate or otherwise, had stepped foot on the shores. The rest of the crew already piled back onto the ship. They left no mark of their boots, letting the waves wash away the evidence.

 

He stood just where the waves thinned enough to cover the tops of his booted foot but not reach his ankles. Alongside him was one last rowboat and Kuroo, Bokuto, and Daichi.

 

In the tide pool where they all first met were the mers, their eyes sparkling as they watched the pirates come closer. The time of pretend had come to an end. Yet, they all clung to this last encounter which mirrored their first.

 

Daichi, this time, did not fall onto his ass but his knee in front of Koushi. The moon had arrived and gathered its light to reflect on Koushi’s silver hair. It had come to claim them.

 

With Koushi’s hands in his, Daichi pulled him closer to where the mer was half out of the water and Daichi was half falling into it. Their heads rested on each other’s shoulder, burying their noses.

 

Hajime and the others held themselves back some steps away, as did the other mers who hovered at the other end of the pool. It was strange to be so close to an intimate moment such as this, but a kinship among them was growing. Because heartache was slightly easier to bear when it was shared.

 

“I-I can’t—” Koushi cried, a faint sound yet piercing enough to be heard.

 

The first wave of hurt crashed and rolled onto the sand.

 

One last kiss, a brief yet firm press, and the wave retreated as did Koushi, invisible beneath it.

 

The sun sank further as Bokuto took a deep breath. Hajime eyed him with caution that only heightened when Bokuto, the usually emotionally volatile man, stepped forward into the pale glow of the moon. Daichi had already walked away when Keiji swam forward to meet him.

 

The passionate kiss, Hajime had expected to see, as with the soft caress, but the instant release he had not. There were no tears, only Keiji resting his chin atop a propped hand.

 

“Do well, Koutarou.”  

The full moon made it easy to see glowing green eyes, but the surrounding darkness did not betray any tears if there were. As the second wave came, so did a sniffle. Pain pierced when Bokuto turned towards the rowboat and a sniffle was heard.

 

Not one sniffle, but two when water had receded.

 

Hajime then regretted not growing closer to Keiji, but then, perhaps it was for the best. Because to know he was crying echoed a pain that constricted his breathing. He didn’t realize Kuroo had already moved.

 

Laying on a smooth rock like he did the first day, head held up by one hand, Kuroo was now accompanied by a scarlet tail sitting beside him and blond hair pressed against his cheek. Kenma strangely rested against Kuroo and nestled the locket in his hands, letting the moonlight reflect off of it. The glimmer wasn’t quite the same as when it shone during the day.

 

Like Bokuto, Hajime drew a deep breath before he drew closer. He had been watching Tooru as he had been observing the others. Hajime should not have been surprised to find that Tooru could possibly annoy him in their final moment, but he did. He wouldn’t be Tooru if he didn’t. He wouldn’t be Tooru if he didn’t shine Hajime one more determined glint.

 

“Tooru,” he warned.

 

“Hajime.” The mer rushed toward him as soon as one knee touched cool, damp stone. “Please, just listen.”

 

He withheld a grin, one that would be twinged with grief, because this was them. Their way of being. The same useless arguments that ranged from petty to serious to lighthearted, and as much as it hurt to say no, he would miss it. He would miss teasing Tooru, hearing a whiny _‘Iwa-chan’_ , feeling so passionate about someone else, to be willing to let go or hold on.

 

“You can’t—”

 

“We could all stay here. We don’t have to follow each other anywhere. Hajime, do you have any idea what the other mer pod is like? Most of them already have mates, and yet you’ll encourage us to go where we are not loved, not”—Tooru’s eyes glistened, but they were beautiful—“not the way we love each other.”

 

“No.” He shook his head. Finally, his mind and heart had quieted. “No one can love us as this way but us. That’s why you have to go, Tooru. I won’t let you follow me.”

 

There were certain kisses Tooru preferred, but Hajime wanted to give him every kind. And he did that—gripping Tooru’s face to press his lips on a red nose, on taut skin just beneath each eye, every round corner, every sharp edge of Tooru’s face. Then Tooru’s lips, with fervor when his hands and arms shifted to embrace the mer, trapping his arms and pressing him closer.

 

When they broke apart, gasping for breath, foreheads pressed together, Hajime spoke with a conviction that began beneath his boots. It traveled up his body, wrapping around his bones, threading every muscle. “Do what you have to, and so will I.”

 

“Hajime,” Tooru sobbed, not letting him finish.

 

He gripped the ends of the mer’s soaked haired, yanking slightly on them to get Tooru to look at him, to feel this conviction that had Hajime grounding his teeth together. “I’m going to find that chalice. Until I die, I will search for it, and once I have it, there will be no sea that can stop me from coming back to you.”  

 

Three gentle kisses, quick and fleeting, Tooru gave him, echoing each wave that poured into the tide pool.  

 

“Now _you_ have to look for _me_ , Iwa-chan.” Tooru huffed. “Don’t sink any other ships on your way to get to me, though, I prefer you alive.”

 

**~~~~**

 

_“Dreams are meant to end happy, aren’t they? I have one last gift for you.”_

 

Hajime hauled himself up the last rung of the ladder and paused. His hands tightened around the rails of the opening and looked back. Meters and meters away, close and yet already too far, he could see four figures, almost like ghosts hovering over the water. Maybe a year or month ago, he would have called this sight a trick of light, blame his sleep deprived mind, or just might entertain the idea of ghosts. Hajime would have been afraid to imagine Tooru then, but he knew just who and what they were now.

 

Hands hoisted him forward onto the ship.

 

Nodding his thanks to Kuroo, and instead of turning to walk towards the helm, Hajime made himself comfortable at the stern of the boat. He could still see them, all four, in varying shades of hair absorbing different lengths of light. Hajime found his favorite easily. No more doubt. No more fear. Just the end of a dream.

 

Smiling, as slightly bitter and dismal it may be, he let himself. He let the negative feelings fall to the recess of his mind, to be saved for drunken and sleepless nights, and let love overtake him. Tooru deserved only this as their goodbye.

 

Dreams were dreams for a reason. They never stayed, but they also left this lingering feeling, like stardust on your eyelashes.

 

He rapped his knuckles against the rail. It stung a bit, but not an unfamiliar sensation, and neither was the resounding boom.

 

Hajime couldn’t hear it, and yet he knew exactly what Tooru was saying as streams of gold rained from the sky.

 

_“Fireworks. They’re fireworks, and they’re beautiful.”_

 

One after another, in every color imaginable, in shapes of myths and flowers, each firework dazzled above his head. Noya had truly outdone himself, and he would have to thank him for this last gift, this one last _I love you_.

 

Hajime could only look forward. Until someone touched his shoulder, light and hesitant, and he turned his head slightly to find Tobio.

 

“Captain, Noya-san said the show is almost done. We should get going now.”

 

“Mm.” Hajime nodded, knowing they were right. He could feel the heat of the fireworks above him and the gazes of the crew behind him.

 

It was the plan all along, and as much as they had been ready to say goodbye, Hajime still wanted to ease their departure under the clouds of smoke and colored gunpowder.   

 

“Let’s go.” _Before the storm arrives._

 

He released his grip on the rail.

  
  


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Oh, how sweet.” He… he didn’t know that voice. “It’s a bit revolting how selfless you are,  _ Iwa-chan _ .” 

 

It was an octave too high, the intonation too smooth to be any of his crew, and the taunting lilt created goosebumps on his flesh. 

 

Hajime spun around, and there she was. Sitting on one of their few decent chairs, set against their main mast, her maroon gown spilled over the majority of the deck, making her pale skin faintly glow.

 

“Who the fuck are you?” he spat. 

 

“There he is, the infamous pirate captain, Iwaizumi Hajime. Your demeanor these past two weeks was frighteningly unlike you.” She crossed her arms and clucked her tongue at him. 

 

His fingers edged towards his pistol; his stance widened. When she tossed a blonde lock of hair, Kageyama stepped in front of him and drew his sword. 

 

“There’s no need for that.” The woman rolled her eyes, and the air around her shifted. “I won’t hurt you.”

 

It looked like mist clung to her skin and rolled with her every movement. Everything about her glistened. Her eyes, they were an all too familiar amber shade, but they were luminous, stars in each of them. In this light and from their positions, he shouldn’t have been able to tell the colors of her lips, the paint on her nails, see the pearl necklace.     

 

None of them moved until slowly, one by one, they withdrew their weapons. But their stances remained wide, ready. 

 

“I swear you’re all fools,” she muttered as her gaze shifted, scrutinizing him before moving onto Daichi who stood on his right, then Kuroo, and then Bokuto, who was closest to her. “I don’t know what my children see in you four, but nonetheless, I will answer their prayers.”  

 

“Who are you, and what are you doing on my ship?” Hajime stepped forward. 

 

The mysterious woman’s lips stretched out of the constant pout into a sly smile. “I believe you know, Captain.” 

 

“Then what do you want?” Kuroo asked as he moved closer to Bokuto. 

 

Near himself by the stern was Kageyama and Daichi, and along the portside were the rest of the crew, but Bokuto was near the center starboard with Kuroo halfway between them. The woman did nothing but watch Kuroo take careful step after careful step until he stood beside their musician. 

 

“Kuroo, correct?” she asked him when he stopped. “Your intelligence is one to behold. You, I can understand why Kenma chose you. The one beside you…well, Keiji was always a bit odd.” 

 

Red nails threaded through her honeyed hair, keeping it carefully pushed over one shoulder, and she sighed. When she turned her attention back to Hajime, her gaze narrowed and her tone dropped to the bottom of a valley. “I came to talk, of course.”

 

She stood. The moment she did, the boat heaved, tilting sharply onto the starboard side before swinging the other way. The ocean rose to meet the rails of the ship and began to pour over them. 

 

“Hush all of you.” The woman dismissed them with an exasperated wave. “I said I wasn’t going to hurt you. Can you blame a mother for wanting to see her children?” 

 

Four gleaming tails traveled with the wave onto the deck, and once they set, the water reverted. Flowing backwards back into the ocean until only a thin layer up to their ankles remained. 

 

_ “Mother?” _ the all-too familiar voices cried, all echoing each other in varying degrees of disbelief. 

 

“W-wha… Is it you?” Koushi breathed when their descent slowed to stop them by her feet. The woman sat back down, closer to the eldest mer’s tilted face. “It  _ is  _ you.”

 

“Hello, Koushi, my child.” Red nails caressed the mer’s cheek. “Look at you, the spitting image of your parents. I have missed them.” A shimmering pale hand nestled into brown locks. “Tooru-kun, you asked for quite the show with those fireworks, didn’t you?” 

 

Two pairs of arms wrapped around her where they could. Koushi on one side, and Tooru—the other. 

 

“Iwa-chan, it’s Mother!” He grinned as his grip tightened around her legs. 

 

Hajime sputtered in disbelief. He had suspicions, but… 

 

On the edges of his vision, one mer slid farther from the woman, closer to Bokuto who had fallen onto his knees to meet him. Hajime watched Keiji latch onto Bokuto, his lips twitching. 

 

With Kenma, who had sidled up to the goddess with ease and rested his head upon her lap, Hajime did not have to guess whether the young mer was smiling. “You came, like you said you would...” Kenma must have thought he was whispering as he had closed his eyes, bright blond hair fanning against her dark dress. When his eyes opened, they locked onto Kuroo who had taken a step towards them. “You never said why.” 

 

“I came to bring you a gift, Kenma.” The goddess leaned over and pressed a kiss to his hairline. “All of you. Would you like to hear it?” 

 

“Please. Tell us.” 

 

Hajime snapped his head when Bokuto spoke, but the musician held gazes with the goddess, whose own flickered to the mer in his arms. The sly smile broke out of its pout once again. 

 

“I can grant your dreams.” Her hands continued to bounce from one tuft of hair to the next. In silver, in blond, in brown, the goddess seemed solid and  _ there _ . “No Seventh Sea, no separation… Your humans may stay on the island, and you may have lives together.” She tapped each of their noses, one by one, her wrist angling in a delicate curve. “You will gain a new ability, a transformation if you will, when it is time for children to be created. You may have this gift,” the goddess straightened to direct her hardened stare back at Hajime, “if your captain decides to accept it.” 

 

Her gaze did nothing to him, but the weight of everyone else’s did. Hajime sucked on his teeth, gritting them. He  _ wanted  _ to say yes. Kuroo, Daichi, Bokuto, the mers, and Tooru, their eyes pleaded — no, expected — him to accept the offer. Yet, he saw Hinata, trembling in the chill breeze, Noya gnawing his lips, and he felt the tension from Kageyama’s back beside him. 

The woman might as well be a witch to him. Witches didn’t give gifts; they made deals. 

 

“And what did you want in return?” 

 

“Nothing.” The goddess stood. “Unlike you, Iwaizumi, I am a selfish person. The Sky Father has his planets, and the Earth Mother has you humans, these mers are all I have left. For a pirate captain who knows many of my tales, you still deny me. You don’t believe.” Her eyes slitted while his own noticed the tightening of her fists. “After you prayed to me, too. Ha. Do you think me so cruel to sentence my last creations to a miserable life?” 

 

Hajime dropped his hand from the gun where he left it to his sides and walk towards the woman. He stopped just a foot in front of her to find she was shorter than he, and his gaze challenged hers. “Goddess or not, gifts are never free. The price often not worth it. Name yours.” 

 

A wet hand folded around his calf, neither loose nor deathly tight, the action sounded with a bit of hope in the slightly nasal voice. “Iwa-chan?” 

 

This close — the sea goddess flickered before him. Her entire being shimmered. As if  _ she  _ was composed of nothing but mist. The around her bent and wavered, but Hajime could feel it, the bubbles of power creeping along his skin. He saw it by being this close. Hajime caught her side glances to Hinata, Kageyama.  

 

“Find my chalice,” she glared back into him, a snarl ruining the pout her lips defaulted to form, “that is what I ask.” 

 

Hajime could barely begin to form his refusal, his lips just parting, before scarlet nails were raised before his face. 

 

“But that is not your destiny, Iwaizumi Hajime. It is not your decision to make.” This time, the goddess let all aboard know who she had pinned her amber gaze upon. 

 

Kageyama shifted underneath her stare, and then Hinata was there instantly beside him. The two of them bearing the weight together. 

 

“It’s theirs.” She gestured towards the pair before sticking a nail into Hajime’s chest, forcing him a step back. “Your decision is simple.” 

 

Leaning back but refusing to budge another step, the goddess pressed against him and whispered in his ear. “Will you be selfish or not?”  

 

“I don’t get it. If it’s your chalice, why are you sending humans to find it—” Hajime closed his eyes and breathed once the goddess retreated, pulled by the question. Love was a language spoken by them alone. “—Mother?”  

 

She turned away from him to kneel before Tooru, her skirt billowing as she lowered herself to brush his chocolate hair. “I know where it is, but there are… obstacles which prevent me from obtaining it.” The goddess kissed his forehead. “It was stolen from me, you see, and I pray you will never know the pain of having your heart stolen from you.” 

 

Craning her neck, the goddess glanced behind her at Hajime and then sighed. She stood to face him once more, her hands resting on her hips. “I vow no harm will come to your brother or his mate on this mission”— distantly he heard Hinata squawk— “if it worries you so. That doesn’t sound like a terrible price, now does it?”  

 

He took one last survey of the ship, looking into the eyes of each crew member. It was Kageyama who nodded, and his worries dissipated. Hajime didn’t dare look down, though, knowing what he would see in dark brown eyes. Instead, he challenged the goddess once more… 

 

Hajime stuck out his hand, earning a scoff from the goddess, but she gripped his forearm anyway. 

 

“All due respect, Sea Mother,” he grinned simply because he couldn’t help it, “all pirates are selfish.Thank you.” 

 

A force latched onto his knees, barrelling him down onto wet floor, soaking his entire backside but Hajime joined the laughter and the cheers as Tooru climbed above him. Holding his face, Tooru leaned closer until Hajime could see each diamond in his eyes dance, could catch the unshed tears. 

“I love you.” 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


 

 

 

“I won’t lie, you had me terrified there for a minute, Cap!” Bokuto grabbed his shoulders and crushed him in a hug, shouting in his ear all the while. 

 

Hajime thumped Bokuto’s broad shoulders in apology but then he was stumbling forward when Kuroo hopped onto his back. The deck had cleared of all water, thankfully, but Hajime still crumbled to one knee from the combined weight. 

 

The two of them shook him, clapping his back and hollering random nonsense that came to mind. Everyone had yet to quiet down, cheering louder than any victory celebration they ever had, but Hajime didn’t mind. 

 

“Be careful with my Iwa-chan!” Tooru squawked when his other knee came down and his chest was pushed towards the mer’s lap. 

 

Hajime gave up fighting the two and rested there, letting Tooru card damp fingers through his hair. Daichi sighed at the crazy happenings on the ship from a few feet away, his legs crossed, sitting contentedly beside Koushi. 

 

“Say, Bokuto, did you save those logs you cut down? Ya know, for the house?” Kuroo asked from where they had sprawled on the floor. Noya and Hinata hopped over them, each carrying large mugs of rum. 

 

“Yeah! Oh, oh, we could build one huge cabin, for all of us on the island. We could build huge baths or maybe —”

 

“Wait, wait, wait, no,” Daichi butted in. “After nearly three years of suffering your obnoxious snoring in one cramped space, I refuse to keep hearing it. I’m making my own hut, and I claim near the grove. Alright?” 

 

“Fine, but I call the beach. Near the tide pools. None of you are allowed to enter without knocking first.” 

 

“You can’t claim a beach, Kuroo.” Hajime rubbed his forehead but didn’t move, comfortable feeling cool scales against the back of his neck. 

 

“Ugh, this is more disgusting than I thought it would be.” The Sea Mother shuddered from her perch atop of the rail. 

 

She looked down at them all, silent enough as the drinks began to pour that they had briefly forgotten she was there. Her dressed draped the rails like curtains that swayed with the ocean breeze. 

 

Bokuto hopped to his feet, tripping over the people who laid on the floor with his arms outstretched. “Mother! You’re still here. Wow, I just had to say, thank you.”

 

The goddess flicked her wrist and swirls of water wrapped around Bokuto’s feet, trapping him in place. 

 

“You may not call me that, and unfortunately, I still am. I have one last person to speak with before departing but your celebrations quickly got in the way of that.” Her lips almost twitched into a sneer. 

 

With a curl of a finger, she beckoned Kageyama forward. 

 

“The shrimp, too,” she said when Hinata had stayed back. 

 

When they were both standing in front of her, a harsh gust blew, blowing her hair off of her skin and even distorting her image. Her body dissipated and appeared in flickering bursts as the wind continued. 

 

“Kenma will help with your mission, he can provide clues and the occasional correct path.” Her voice was carried along with the air, making her sound several meters away rather than in front of them. “Look for a girl named Yachi Hitoka.” Her body shrank, flashing quickly the image of a young girl with short blond hair and frightened eyes, before the wind stopped abruptly. The goddess’s body grew firm, returning to the state she had first appeared to them with the mist still clinging to her skin. “She will also help you on your journey, though she may not know it yet. Do you understand, Kageyama?” 

 

He nodded but kept his gaze towards the floor. 

 

The goddess leapt off the rail, briefly showing bare foot touching the deck, and glided to stand in front of the two she had called. 

 

“Never lose the item Kenma gave you, Hinata. Keep it close at all times.” She grabbed Hinata’s wrist, bringing it up to show his palm to drop a thick string, like that of a vine, onto it. 

 

“Yes, your majes—I mean, your grace? Uh, your goddess?” Hinata stuttered through several different titles while the Sea Mother rolled her eyes, turning away from them both. 

 

“Sea Mother?” Kageyama dared to look up, stopping the goddess’s path. “Why me? I don’t understand. Why not Captain or the others? Tooru-nii-san is an explorer. I—” 

 

She paused from where she stood already facing the ocean, away from them all, and she did not look back at Kageyama’s question. 

 

“It is your destiny, Kageyama Tobio.”  

 

The ocean rose before her, like a wall erected of stone, but furling and churning with movement. It towered over them all but did not spill over.

 

Without another word, the Sea Mother climbed up the rail and stepped into the barrier. They watched her, gathering at her now empty place, as she walked through the water. The ocean did not part to make way. It did not open or bend for her.  

 

It clung to her like the mist, walking with her, becoming one until her essence dissolved. The further she walked, the more fluid her movements. 

 

They stared gaping like fish until they could see her no more. 

 

Hajime rested a hand on Kageyama’s shoulder. He thumbed where the seams met at the junction there, feeling the golden patterns beneath the pads of his fingers, allowing himself to briefly wonder when he would see this jacket again. 

 

Kageyama had yet to fill out his cloak, but perhaps he never would if Hajime stood in the way. 

 

“It is your destiny, Tobio, because you’re the captain now.” 

 

His brother choked in shock, rushing to stutter profuse refusals, but Hajime gripped his shoulder tighter. He let his voice project into the night, for all to hear, clear and steady and wise like Irihata before him. “Those who vote for Kageyama as your captain, say aye.” 

 

Twelve voices answered, both human and mer, but all apart of the same crew, the same family. 

 

“Aye.” 

 

Because some dreams do last .... by beginning a new one. 

  
  
  
  


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully this was an ending worth waiting for -- mistakes and all. 
> 
> Thank you for reading this fic. If you enjoyed it, I would love to hear your thoughts on this final chapter or the epilogue to follow. (つω`●）
> 
> I'm saving my big, sappy thank you note and series information for after the epilogue (which will hopefully be out soon) so I'm stopping myself here! 
> 
> ((if there is confusion about the sea mommy's gift, more will be revealed/clarified in the epilogue.))


	16. epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mare et Terra 
> 
>  
> 
> _Sea and Earth_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For clarity, there will be pregnant mers in this epilogue! If anyone is a bit squicked out, please feel free to shoot me a message for either a full summary or an explanation behind the pregnancy. The epilogue is not necessary to read for full enjoyment of the fic. :) 
> 
> For reference when reading, please take a look at [this image (particularly the tails).](http://belovedtraveler.tumblr.com/post/82579804766/newvagabond-this-will-always-remain-my-favorite)

Myths, stories, fairy tales—all things false but for the pearl of truth hidden beneath the sand...or behind the fog of the early morning. 

 

For Daichi and Tanaka, the fog grew as they rowed farther and farther away from the island. It was silent, though, a sound neither of them were accustomed to after an exciting year. Together, they breached the veil of fog, entering underneath the bright dawn. Hues of violet were just beginning to fade. 

 

Daichi took the moment to breathe and enjoyed the calm. Even Tanaka could be quiet, although Daichi knew the cook was quiet far more often than people thought. Tanaka was steadfast, sturdy, and sure as an oak. If it were them alone in a tiny rowboat, caught up in a storm, Daichi knew Tanaka would be the one to plant his feet against the wood and hoist him out of the water. Sometimes, Daichi thought Tanaka was best represented by the ship he had been born upon. 

 

A click. 

 

Daichi stood, perking his ears as he searched through the wisps of low clouds surrounding them. He may not have sailed for a year but he knew the sound of a gun ready to fire. Their boat turned sharply in the water. Tanaka withdrew the oars into the boat as they were no longer needed. Their boat kept flowing with the gentle fluctuations of ocean until they were in the thickest part of the fog. 

 

Squinting, Daichi kept turning to face every direction, waiting. 

 

Tanaka rose behind him as their boat finally steadied in one spot. 

 

In the fog, Daichi could begin to see shadows, darker patches amongst the gray, until the figures became clearer. He couldn’t help but tense as he raised his hands. Beside him, Tanaka was completely at ease. 

 

Tanaka was the main mast of their little rowboat, unknowingly reassuring Daichi as those figures came out of the fog.   

 

Also on a small rowboat, gun cocked and loaded, one foot propped on the ledge of the boat, she smirked at them once their eyes found each other. 

 

Tanaka was steady, wild only in his excitement, his sister… was not. 

 

“Saeko-nee.” Daichi nodded, and she lowered her gun. 

 

Still smirking at them, arms crossed, chin up, Daichi could see the Tanaka family resemblance between the two. Except where Tanaka was wild, Saeko was unhinged, nearly feral, as reckless as the winds that blew her ship. Saeko Tanaka was not a pirate captain to cross. 

 

“Sawamura-kun,” she grinned, “I’m glad you’re here. I was about to pop one right into your forehead.” 

 

Their rowboats aligned side by side. Daichi and she stood opposite of each other, both with their backs straight and gazes appraising. He only spared his gaze to greet the others in the boat along with Saeko, her most trusted crew. 

 

“Still annoyed with me, I see.” 

 

Saeko snorted. “Please, Sawamura, I don’t hold grudges for  _ that  _ long. Who do you think I am?”      

 

A pirate queen, notorious for fun and games all while conducting business, someone who blurred the lines between every shade of gray. 

 

“I am  _ annoyed  _ by the vague notice I received from a captain who is said to be dead.” She narrowed her gaze at them, even scrutinizing the honest expression of her younger brother. Huffing after finding nothing incriminating, Saeko crossed her arms across her chest. “Really? Come alone? Iwaizumi knows me better than that. Honestly, I’m more annoyed that he sent me coordinates to the middle of nowhere!”   

 

Daichi mirrored her stance, if only to withhold his exasperation, while Tanaka  _ did  _ sigh. 

 

“Nee-san, you wouldn’t be able to find the island on your own. You need a guide or else you’ll be lost forever.” 

Even in the low light, they could see her roll her eyes before opening her arms. “Hello to you, too, Ryuu.”  

 

Tanaka grinned before hopping boats to meet his sister’s embrace. 

 

A pale hand gripped his shoulder from behind, asking for another hug with a giggle. “Ryuu-kun, it’s been too long!” 

 

Daichi saluted to the other two in the boat. Even if Haiba Alisa was not looking directly at him, it was more for Tsukishima Akiteru who stayed on the other end of the boat, returning the gesture. 

 

“Please, Saeko-nee,” he tried for his best placating tone, “we have much to discuss back on the island.” 

 

The two women released their death grip around the younger man, and Saeko sighed. 

 

“Sawamura-kun, age has not made you any less boring.” 

 

**~~~~~~~~**

 

“You there!” Saeko began charging once her boots hit the shore, straight towards Kageyama. “I didn’t know the new captain of Seijoh was taught to be such a liar!” 

 

Iwaizumi blocked her path midway, grinning in what he hoped was both sheepish and apologetic. 

 

“Saeko-nee, it’s good to see you again. Haiba-san, Akiteru-san as well. I knew you would bring them.” 

 

He expected the whack against his sternum.  

 

“Huh.” Saeko reclined to look at him better, clicking her tongue. “So you really are alive. Good. Kageyama was making a mess of things out there on the seas. Now tell me, what is this place?”  

 

Two small figures barrelled into the pirate queen, cheering her name as she fell down onto the sand. They had caught her off-guard but soon enough, Saeko was laughing alongside Noya and Hinata, gripping their necks and ruffling their hair. 

 

“Shouyou! Yuu!” 

 

“Welcome to the island, nee-san!” They both threw up their hands, gesturing wildly all around them as they got back on their feet. 

 

Iwaizumi was the one to extend a hand for Saeko to hold as she stood and brushed the sand off her tight pants. 

 

“The island? Does the island have a name?” 

 

“We’re working on it!” Bokuto strolled out of the tree line, running towards them with both hands up. 

 

Saeko readily clapped his hands as they both hooted and cawed from seeing one another again. 

“Now, you, we have quite a bit of talking to do, Bokuto-kun. I heard you’re seeing someone now, without my blessing of all things!” 

 

Bokuto only grinned knowingly at her. “Actually, I got blessing from another blonde woman—not as beautiful as you, of course—and it’s a fun story. Would you like to hear it?” 

 

More and more of the crew came out onto the beach, greeting Saeko and the others. Kuroo hugged Alisa, asking about her idiot brother who was left back on  _ Karasuno _ , while Asahi was bombarded with questions from Saeko about Noya’s health. Akiteru and Kageyama hung by the edges of the group, acknowledging each other with the pirate handshake. Mattsun and Makki quickly paired up with Saeko, offering borderline compliments about her new lipstick.  

 

“It is quite a story, nee-san, but it’s best told by our dear, old captain Iwaizumi. Isn’t that right,  _ Iwa-chan _ ?” 

 

He was beginning to sincerely regret ever encouraging Irihata to take on those two as crew members. 

 

“Iwa-chan?” Saeko guffawed. “Oh Sea Mother, someone please tell me what happened to earn that ridiculous nickname?” 

 

“He’s  _ my  _ Iwa-chan, and  _ I _ think it’s cute name for him! Befitting even!”   
  


Iwaizumi raised a hand to palm his face against the rising sun. He had told Tooru to  _ wait _ ; but of course Tooru wouldn’t listen once he heard them say ‘Saeko-nee’. 

 

Saeko had frozen, gaping at the tidal pool some meters away, and Iwaizumi deeply inhaled for the strength to explain. 

 

“Saeko-nee, there’s someone—” silver hair glittered in the sunlight, right into his eyes, “— _ someones _ we would like you to meet.”

 

**~~~~**

 

“Wh-Th-...” Saeko gripped her quartermaster’s arm, bringing Alisa closer to her in a vain attempt to whisper in the taller woman’s ear. “Are those mers?” 

 

Alisa awed at the sight of the two mers who watched their every movement with scrutiny. Iwaizumi sighed internally in relief when Alisa cooed, “Yes, and they’re beautiful.” 

 

“Did we get lost in the fog until we died? Are we dead, Alisa?” Saeko only gripped her arm tighter, as if her knees were about to buckle in shock. “Are we in some sort of pirate purgatory?” She turned her searching eyes, wider than Iwaizumi had ever seen them, on each member of the crew. 

 

He had to admit, Saeko wasn’t one for surprises, and earning the rare position of being able to shock the pirate queen had him smirking. 

 

“Or we could be in some parallel universe where magic exists. Perhaps even the Sea Mother is real—” Kuroo landed a solid hand on Akiteru’s shoulder, stopping the navigator who had come to close. “For all we know, these could be sirens. Captain, we should—”  

 

“Tsukishima-kun,” Kuroo drawled, “mers can’t digest human flesh, and while a few of them sing pretty, that blue one’s annoying voice will make you wish you were being hypnotized.” 

 

Iwaizumi grabbed Tooru’s hand immediately and squeezed before he could yell at Kuroo for insulting him. It didn’t help when Koushi snorted, causing Daichi to rub the edge of his brow. When Tooru pouted, he smiled warmly at his mate, lifting a hand to tousle the mostly dry curls. 

 

“Saeko-nee, this is my mate, Tooru.” He directed his gaze back at the pirate queen, his smile waning to settle into a thin line as Daichi introduced Koushi. 

 

“Is… Is he  _ pregnant _ ? I…” Saeko shakily lowered herself to the ground with the help of her two highest crew members. “Wow,” she breathed, still openly staring at Tooru’s obvious belly. “And it’s  _ your  _ child, Iwaizumi?” 

 

“Children,” Tooru corrected, rubbing a palm against his navel. “There’s two of them in here.”

 

“Come closer to the water,” Koushi beckoned her forward, and with earnest intrigue, Saeko surprisingly did. 

 

With her rapid blinking, Iwaizumi and the rest watched her carefully as she peered over the small bank of sand. It was worry that helped him suppress a small chuckle from shocking Saeko further.

 

In the pool, she saw four small orbs floating along with the water, but they didn’t drift away with the pull of the waves. No, a thin extremity extended from the orbs, swishing rapidly in the water to stay close to the bright orange tail of Koushi. They were like frog tadpoles, but bigger, barely able to fit in the palm of her hand. 

 

“These are our children.” Daichi grinned as he wrapped one arm around Koushi’s shoulders. “The pale red one is Harumi,” he dipped a hand in the water, gently grazing each one as he went along, “The gray one is Ryo, then this small lavender one is Ren, and this little orange is Kazuhiro.” 

 

Saeko leaned away from the mer children. She glanced between the small tadpoles and the obviously pregnant Tooru. 

 

“Sawamura-kun, I always,” she began laughing hysterically, “I always knew you’d be the one to settle down first, but this… Mating with a mer? I honestly would have expected this from a pervert like Kuroo, but this… I guess congratulations are in order then?” 

 

“Kuroo is also mated to a mer.” Daichi chuckled in relief when she began wiping the tears from her eyes. “But he’s a gentleman enough to take things a bit slower with Kenma.”   

 

“Still a pervert.” She snorted. 

 

Like the true legend she was, Saeko leaned back on her hands as she relaxed into her usual mischievous demeanor. Akiteru sat politely next to her, watching Alisa as she giggled and prodded at the tadpoles with permission. 

 

“There’s more of you?” he asked the two mers in the pool. 

 

“Yeah! There’s two more.” Bokuto thumbed over his shoulder to another spot along the beach. “Kuroo’s dating Kenma, the small blond over there hanging with Kyoutani.” 

 

“Still have no idea how those two get along.” Tooru muttered under his breath about the abrasive pirate and his youngest sibling. Iwaizumi shushed him with a quick peck on the forehead, still rubbing his thumb against Tooru’s palm. 

 

“He’s a bit shy. And Keiji’s my mate! You met him already.” 

 

“We did?” Saeko tilted her head in confusion. 

 

“Keiji is the one who guided your rowboats here. We found out no human could reach the island without a mer to guide them, and Keiji offered to lead you back.” Kuroo crossed his arms and shrugged. “Probably to scope out if you were a threat. He doesn’t like people much.” 

 

Bokuto punched Kuroo in the upper arm as the other scrunched up his nose. “He’s the protector of the island, you can’t blame him.”  

 

“Wait, Bokuto, you too?” Saeko threw up her hands and laughed again. “I can’t say I’m surprised by you either. Is this the one I heard about? Where is he? He doesn’t have my blessing yet.” 

 

“Ah.” The musician of the island scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “He’s here, watching from nearby. I don’t know if he’ll warm up to you just yet, but I think you’ll like him, nee-san!” 

 

“Is he pregnant too?” Alisa asked with the stars in her eyes dancing in the sunlight. The whole time she had been chatting with the two older mers, and eventually, so did Akiteru. 

 

Bokuto shook his head. “Not right now… Keiji and Kenma are… a bit younger than these two.” 

 

Iwaizumi nodded. “Mers have stages of life set for reproduction, and these four on the island are the last few of their kind. Since Tooru and Koushi are older, we’ve, uh, had to hurry things up a little.”   

 

“How is this even possible?” she asked with one last incredulous huff. 

 

“Well, you see,” Kuroo began with flair in his hand movements, obstructing the eye roll she gave him, “long story short, Saeko, is that all mers are able to have children. It’s just that for humans and mers together can be a difficult, ya know? But you see, these mers have a gift to make it a bit… easier.” 

 

“Look!” Tooru grinned as he flopped his separate fins, hands cradling the bottom of his belly, “I have fish legs. We can change them whenever we want.” As he said so, he squeezed the two separate tails together. The scales began to ripple and stagger, falling back into place like a puzzle, linking together like chains to form one single tail again. The sparkling blue tail flopped once, breaking the water and splashing everyone near him. 

 

Alisa and Akiteru had fallen back in awe to watch the transformation happen so quickly, uncaring about their now slightly damp clothes, but Saeko only pursed her lips after it was done. She hardly blinked as the droplets rained upon her. 

 

While everyone had laughed at Tooru’s antics, they quickly quieted as Saeko adjusted her leather jacket. Akiteru and Alisa had returned to her side. 

 

She rose to her feet. Although she was shorter than most of the men, and even her quartermaster and navigator, when Saeko met Iwaizumi stare for stare—she was as tall as ten men. 

 

He knew that playtime had come to an end. 

 

“We need your help, Saeko.” 

 

“With…?” She jutted her chin and raised a brow at him. “I stand on a sustainable island, more than likely populated with rich vegetation to keep you and the rest of your crew strong as always, and four powerful creatures. You’re going to have to explain a bit more, Iwaizumi.”  

 

“Protection.” He had risen to his feet as well. “Kageyama and the others still need to make a living, and with our families growing, we could use all the protection we can get. Your ship rarely leaves the Second Sea, and the more ships we can turn away from this location, the better. It would also make it easier to get supplies more frequently.”  

 

“Koushi’s pregnant again.” Daichi cut in, bringing Koushi closer to him. “It’ll be about another five months until he can lay these hatchling eggs, but we know for sure it’ll be of decent size again. Tooru will be laying his hatchling soon as well. We just want to make sure our children will be safe and well cared for, Saeko-nee, that’s all.” 

 

“And Bokuto is still traveling to  _ Spira _ , I’ve heard. You don’t want people questioning where he keeps disappearing too.” With her arms crossed, Saeko mused in understanding, kicking at the sand with a heavy boot. “Alright, Iwaizumi-kun. I can do what you’re asking. But!” She winked at him before he could even lessen the tension in his shoulders, wagging a finger at him. “Not without a price.”  

 

“Name it.” He answered without hesitation, prepared for whatever lump sum of gold she required. 

 

“Five hundred gold coins a year.” 

 

“Three hundred.” 

 

“Alright, Iwa-chan, four hundred, but I want the second most precious item Kageyama finds in the Sea Mother’s dowry.” 

 

A brief glance towards Kageyama, whose slow blink of agreement encouraged Iwaizumi to spit out, “Fine. Three hundred gold coins a year and the second best item, should he find it.” 

 

He stuck out his hand, mouth set firmly. That was a price far greater than he had been expecting. In the past, their two ships had often let alliance outweigh the power of a bargain, but Iwaizumi could understand. For a lifetime agreement of protection, and the strenuous cost of secrecy on Saeko’s part, the price was worth it.

 

“One last thing.” She tapped her chin. “Now that I think about it. When these mer babies grow old enough, and if Ryuu isn’t married yet, one of them will mate him.” 

 

At that, Tanaka threw down the pan he was holding with a solid, resounding thud and began walking away from the group. 

“Saeko.” Daichi groaned. 

 

“What?” She threw up her hands in gesture. “It’s been nearly six years!”    

 

A collective sigh was shared among all of them. 

 

“Shake on it, Saeko. You’ll have your gold and the treasure.”  

 

The pirate queen clicked her tongue but grasped his forearm anyway, grinning with her shark-like teeth up at him. “You were a great captain, Iwaizumi. I’m sure fatherhood will be the same, but I will admit, I’m going to miss kicking your ass at the Corsair Games.”  

 

Iwaizumi scoffed as their hands fell away. “You were lucky that one time, Saeko-nee. Seijoh has always defeated Karasuno, and Kageyama is going to keep that tradition alive.” 

 

The Karasuno, while not held to the same morality he had kept to the Seijoh, was the only ship aside from his own that he trusted. He knew he had made the right choice in trusting Tanaka Saeko when she, forever a queen of surprises, embraced him before letting go. 

 

She released so quickly that he was almost left to wonder if it happened at all, if the breathlessness in his lungs wasn’t present. The swift punch to his sternum, however, was completely expected. Despite the aching protest in his chest, Iwaizumi laughed as Saeko walked away. 

 

As the sun rose, the tides simmered, except for one particularly strong push from the ocean, a wave that peaked high enough to flood the tide pool and brush the soles of his boots. With it, he allowed himself to relax. 

 

Iwaizumi had begun to understand some signs from the sea goddess, too. However rough or inconsistent they were, each sign had offered the same feeling of calm, like his blood had become sea foam. 

  
  
  


 

 

 

He would feel this sensation next long after Saeko had left that day. 

 

An earthquake shook the island, after some years had passed, and only then did the sea push reassurance against the soles of new boots. In that time before the quake, his four children had been sired. They were beautiful, as were all their cousins, but Iwaizumi was slightly biased. They had thrived in the island waters, growing from small eggs to tadpoles to true mers just like Tooru. Iwaizumi had never been happier. While the quake had rocked them, Iwaizumi diving into the water to be with his little ones, it had also granted them another gift. 

 

After the quake, his children walked. 

 

They jumped, ran, skipped on sand and hills, dancing around the fire for Iwaizumi every night that followed. Twirled, splashed, and dove with tails of peach, emerald, teal, and ivory into the water. Sakura, Botan, Azami, and Byakuren would spend their days swimming around Tooru, often invoking mock battles between the two parents, fighting over who would sleep with the children each night. 

 

“You’re turning my children into brutes like you, Iwa-chan!” Tooru would tease, or occasionally whine, when Sakura and Azami had pulled off yet another prank, or scraped their knees in the sand—always resulting in lost scales when they transformed into their tails. 

 

While Sakura resembled Tooru, and Azami took her features mostly from Iwaizumi, it was Botan who bared resemblance to their heritage further back with ashen hair. Quiet like their youngest, Iwaizumi would often find Botan in his cabin reading Irihata’s journal before begging him to pick her up, carry her spindly legs around him, and answer all her questions.   

 

Iwaizumi and Tooru were blessed to have one child designate as a Mother. When Byakuren would often fall ill and fatigued, however, Iwaizumi wondered if being chosen by the goddess was the blessing it promised to be. Again, the sea blanketed his feet where he stood watching his youngest battle through yet another strange sickness. Byakuren grew strong, in her abilities and in her bond with Kenma, as she aged…but she could always be found intertwined with the turquoise tail Iwaizumi first fell in love with. 

 

For nineteen years, Iwaizumi said  _ I love you _ each night, five times. He heard it back from four chorused voices and one annoyingly nasal voice. 

 

For nineteen years, his children had stayed children. 

 

It had become apparent soon enough, when Saeko or Kageyama would visit, that they had become antsy. Ready to see beyond the island, every mer-human child with two legs and one tail itched and begged to catch the winds the way their pirate parents did before them.

In Botan’s case, much like her uncle, she wanted to travel to Spira and study medicine in the golden citadel. 

 

After Kuroo had taken his child, Jirou, to the islands of Sissam, the youngest of all the cousins did not return, occasionally sending message by bird or river. 

 

Ahiru, the little duck who banged her sire’s drums with a fierceness given to her by Keiji, had fallen in love with yet another human who lived upon a mountain. 

 

Ren and Kazuhiro, next, had found human mates of their own. Two unions Daichi had begrudgingly supported, if only because the two human men were pirates aboard the Seijoh. 

 

Iwaizumi had tried, and failed, to avoid the day one of his children announced their upcoming marriage. From Azami, no less, who punched him before crying over her happiness. He didn’t cry when she brought home his first grandchild, no… Not at all. (Perhaps only a little.) 

 

He had built his cabin along the shore, only a few steps away, out of the waves’ reach. Those few steps eventually grew harder and harder to take as his back began to bend and his knees stiffened.

 

Still, each night, Iwaizumi would sit in the tide pool where they had first began their life together.

 

Still, he whispered his love to have it given back to him from a voice that echoed one etched in his memory. A small mer, just as old as him, waving goodbye before disappearing into sea foam and moonlight with one last ridiculous nickname. A brief farewell, if only just for the night, as twenty years dwindled and twenty decades seemed possible. 

 

Still, Hajime held onto a dream. 

 

His children had children, and his grandchildren, too, until they were all are born with legs and not tails. Though Hajime would never live to see it, they would all be little mers so that one day, another one could stumble upon an unsuspecting soulmate to watch fireworks light up the sky.  

 

The dream would live again even as the earth and sea collided, as it had done before, back into the void from which all things came, but still… 

  
_ The dream lived on.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saved all of my sappy, sappy thank yous for [this long post here. (There is also series information in here.)](http://eccentrick-stardust.tumblr.com/post/156793317892/thank-you-for-met) 
> 
> **In short, thank you to every single person who has supported and read this fic. Thank you Thank you Thank you.**
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this little fic of mine & I hope to see some of you again in my future endeavors! 
> 
> Oh, and before I forget! I will be starting a book of one-shots for events outside the plot of MeT but within the universe. Backstories, pairings, etc, feel free to send me a request! 
> 
> Here are some really awesome people to check out now that MeT is over.
> 
> Writers:  
> [eccentrick](http://archiveofourown.org/users/eccentrick/works)  
> [astersandstuffs](http://archiveofourown.org/users/astersandstuffs/pseuds/astersandstuffs)  
> [darkgaaraluver](http://archiveofourown.org/users/darkgaaraluver/pseuds/darkgaaraluver/works)  
> [SquawksofWisdom](http://archiveofourown.org/users/SquawksOfWisdom/pseuds/SquawksOfWisdom)
> 
> Artists:  
> [Alison Lynn](http://reallyhomoart.tumblr.com/)  
> [Teona](http://tactfully-magical.tumblr.com/)  
> [Sophia](http://majesticgeeks.tumblr.com/)


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